marketing presentation hook

This opening statement is powerful because rather than lead with his “credentials” or “accolades,” as the audience most likely expects, he defies that expectation.

He creates a sense of intrigue that instantly piques the audience's curiosity and compels them to pay closer attention.

Infuse humor.

In Tom Thum's TedTalk titled Beatbox Brilliance , he sets a lighthearted tone by stepping on stage wearing oversized sunglasses and declaring, “My name is Tom, and I've come here today to come clean about what I do for money.”

As you might expect, this humorous approach not only elicits laughter but also surprises the audience, who are intrigued and pleasantly surprised at the tone he sets for the presentation.

Ask a question.

Graham Shaw's presentation titled “ Why people believe they can’t draw - and how to prove they can ” begins with, “Hi, I've got a question for you - how many people here would say they can draw?”

Seeing as this is a relatively lighthearted question that’s simple to answer, the audience responds immediately.

Now, what makes this a powerful opening technique is that Graham then goes on to say:

“When people say they can’t draw, I think it's more to do with beliefs rather than talent and ability. When you say you can’t draw, that’s just an illusion, and today I’d like to prove that to you.”

By immediately challenging a widely held belief among the audience and promising to debunk it during the presentation, he employs a powerful technique that keeps the audience fully engaged.

This approach makes the audience feel “invested” in the outcome of the presentation and curious as to whether he can back up his claim.

2. Tell your audience why they should be listening to you.

Getting your audience’s attention is just one part of the equation. Once you have it, you must also explain why they should “keep” listening to you. Here are some ways to do this:

Highlight relevant personal experience.

In Phil Waknell’s opening section, he talks about how he’s spent the last ten years helping conference speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs prepare and deliver powerful presentations .

This immediately signals to the audience that he’s someone worth listening to and positions him as a credible source of insights based on the wealth of experience he has gathered.

Highlight your expertise.

During the opening section of Dr. Lara Boyd’s presentation titled “ After watching this, your brain will not be the same ,” she says, “I’m Dr. Lara Boyd, and I’m a brain researcher here at the University of British Columbia.”

Sharing her credentials as a brain researcher is crucial to gaining her audience's trust — especially considering the technicality of her topic.

But even while creating presentations outside fields like brain research, sharing qualifications and credentials in your opening section can be a powerful technique.

This helps you position yourself as a credible authority and reinforcing your audience's confidence in your ability to deliver valuable information.

Tell your audience what’s in it for them.

In Mel Robbins’ opening section for her presentation titled “ How to stop screwing yourself over ,” she ends her introduction by saying:

“I’m here for you. I’m going to tell you everything I know in less than 18 minutes about how to get what you want.”

Although she started the section by highlighting her experiences and expertise, she went further by explicitly stating the benefits her audience can expect from her presentation.

Doing this is a great way to create a compelling reason for your audience to invest their time and attention and emphasize the value of the presentation you’re about to deliver.

3. Introduce your topic.

If your topic is relatively simple to grasp or your audience is particularly knowledgeable, introducing your topic can be as easy as “Today, I’m going to be talking to you about how we’ve built a six-figure software company in 6 months.”

However, if your topic is more complex or unfamiliar to the audience, you must do a bit more heavy lifting in your opening section.

For example, Sam Bern’s “ My philosophy for a happy life ” presentation discusses how he lives a happy life despite having Progeria disease.

However, because this condition might be unfamiliar to some audience members, he takes some time in his opening section to talk about the illness before delving into the meat of his presentation.

Similarly, if you’re presenting on a complex topic or to an audience that isn’t knowledgeable, it’s essential to consider this when crafting your opening section.

4. Leverage storytelling.

Stories can create immersive experiences that captivate the audience and convey a core message.

For example, in the opening section of Sam Bern's presentation, he tells a story about his struggles while trying to achieve his goal of becoming a drummer in his school marching band, despite living with Progeria disease.

This sets the tone for his entire presentation by conveying an inspiring message of fighting against and succeeding despite the odds.

Another great example is the opening section of Josh Kaufman’s presentation, titled “ The First 20 Hours — how to learn anything ,” where he tells a story about his experience as a time-strapped first-time parent.

This story enhances the presentation as Josh eventually shares that this experience triggered his interest in studying how to become an efficient learner.

Finally, Amy Morins’s presentation “ The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong ” is another excellent example of leveraging storytelling.

Amy starts her presentation with a thought-provoking story about observing a Facebook friend's seemingly perfect life.

She then highlights how such comparisons can lead to negative thought patterns and emphasizes the importance of cultivating mental resilience.

This relatable story not only resonates with her audience but also sets the stage for her message on building inner strength.

All these presentations are great examples that highlight how incorporating story-telling in your openings can be a powerful tool for creating memorable and impactful presentations.

Your presentation slides play a crucial role in determining the impact and effectiveness of your presentation.

In this section, you’ll find examples of 8 powerful opening slides across various use cases that not just support but enhance the presentation openings:

1. “ Blackboard is Getting an Upgrade ”

Although these are very different methods of injecting humor at the start of a presentation, they show how infusing humor can be a powerful tool for adding a touch of personality and creating a more enjoyable presentation for the audience.

4. Keep it short and sweet.

While it's important not to rush through the start of your presentation, keeping your opening concise is equally important. But remember, concise does not mean sacrificing substance; it simply means delivering information efficiently.

Essentially, you want an opening section that allows you to create a solid initial impression without losing the audience's interest.

So, how long should this opening secretion be?

Most successful presentation openings are under three minutes, and many are shorter, often clocking in at under one minute.

5. Embrace authenticity.

Contrary to popular belief, there isn't a specific personality that makes someone a better presenter. In fact, the most impactful presentations have been delivered by individuals with diverse characters.

Take, for instance, the contrasting styles of Tom Thum’s irreverent humor and animated mannerisms and Sam Bern, who adopts a relaxed and conversational approach. Despite their differences, both speakers have garnered millions of views for their talks.

So, rather than emulating or mimicking their presentations, the key takeaway is to embrace authenticity.

Allow your personality to shine through, lean on your strengths, and be human in your delivery.

Mastering the Art of Captivating Presentations

Starting a presentation is a skill that is as much an art as it is a science. Thankfully, it is also a skill that can be learned and honed.

By implementing the strategies in this guide and refining them through experience, you’ll become a master at delivering impactful presentations that command attention and leave a lasting impression.

All from the moment you step onto the stage.

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• Pitch Hook Ideas That Will Get Your Audience's Attention

Pitch Hook Ideas That Will Get Your Audience's Attention

Great presentations captivate an audience right off the start. For that, having an excellent hook as an attention-getter is the most effective business presentation opener. So let us give you a good set of pitch deck hook ideas along with the best pitch deck opener tips for you to take into consideration before your next startup pitch. 

Tip #1: Put yourself in the audience’s shoes

First, writing a good hook for a presentation often stems from putting yourself in the audience’s shoes. 

By the time you pitch your startup or product, you will most likely have a solid reference of the type of audience you will have. Use that to your advantage. There is nothing more refreshing to an audience than feeling appealed. And you can do that if you take their background into account before planning the narrative structure of the presentation.

A great speech hook tends to answer the question: “How would I love to be wowed?” If you put yourself in the audience’s seat for a minute, it is very likely you will better stimulate your imagination to come up with unique and innovative presentation hook ideas. 

We know investors love startup founders who can think like an investor. That means putting VCs’ financial perspectives and overall posture into perspective when it comes to presenting in front of them. 

Is there any knowledge to this degree that you can put to work as a presentation hook for your upcoming business presentation? Even asking yourself this question is already a fruitful exercise in itself. 

Tip #2: Come up with unique hooks

There are no follow-through recipes to produce a great attention-getter. On the contrary, the better you can tailor your hooks to your specific business, the more powerfully your business presentation start will serve the purpose of captivating your audience. 

It is also a very beautiful experience when you craft such a unique attention-getter and business presentation opener that the lines you used can only be traced back to you. It gives a sense of uniqueness to your business presentation in that pitch room. That is what we call “making an impression.”

Tip #3: Consider attention spans

Just like we can count on the first few seconds of a first impression to be golden and unalterable, audiences are typically lost after about 5 minutes of a startup’s presentation. The audience’s attention curve is known to go up and down intermittently after the opening until a wrap-up’s final peak. Take this into account to keep investors motivated and interested.

This is also precisely why it is so relevant that your attention-getter is well established. The opening part of your pitch is very likely the most attention you will get throughout your entire presentation, so make the best of it!

There’s also a need for you to work in your public speaking skills .

Tip #4: Storytelling is still important

It doesn’t matter how much we vary business angles or startup pitch decks as a whole, storytelling is always amidst the first ingredients to a successful startup pitch. Most business presentation experts will agree that telling a story is a great way of captivating - and maintaining - an audience’s attention to what you’re saying. 

Also, use metaphors as much as possible. Doing so should enhance the art of storytelling to your advantage. While you’re at it, try to lose the fear of speaking in public as you deliver your initial story. Confidence is key in getting your point across in a way that is appealing to your viewers and listeners.

Questions can help

We have a tendency to think that presenting is all about delivering facts; about showing off as the most knowledgeable in your particular field. And while that is true to a large extent, don’t forget questions can also be of great help. Rhetorical queries, especially, are a great way to start a business pitch if you play them correctly. 

The idea behind a rhetorical question as the start to a startup pitch is to evoke thought. It is an easy way to interact with the audience and gets them thinking with and about your business or the data you just shared. 

Hopefully, however, you can also lure the audience back to your content with the start of your presentation slides. Give them some answers and roll them back into the stimuli you’re giving them. What we mean is that, while questions can be your ally, do not exceed into too complicated or intriguing queries. Those might drift your audience away and take too much focus far from where you are trying to lead your audience. 

Put humor to good use

If you can manage to have a clean, sharp and on-point sense of humor, by all means consider playing it as the hook with which you get your audience’s initial attention. Remember humor depends on your context, as well, so make sure you’ve got your bases covered. 

Though a bit of a tricky card to play and not severely recommended across the board, you can even try telling a joke or relying on some self-deprecating humor to get your audience to connect. Well-known and reputable masters of public presentation skills have been known to recommend this.

While a presentation that starts off on a joke might not be the most common pitch delivery, laughter can certainly be a strong tool to generate connection and empathy. Humor also makes presenters a bit more relatable if crafted correctly. A good tip is trying to use humor while you introduce yourself in the presentation , if applicable.

Furthermore, pulling off the right humoristic approach to your pitch hook gives you the benefit of sending healthy endorphins through your audience’s blood system. This effect will get VCs to relax and be better able to be present in that room with you.

Use “what if” imagination tricks

Very much tied to your proposed solution slide in a way, asking “what if” questions can get an audience thinking about imagined scenarios that could help your presentation start. As easy as using one word, ask your audience to “imagine” something. This can lead listeners to travel with you and in their minds, which can be very refreshing for everyone involved.

Rely on Hard Facts

Tie the above with a well-known fact, such as a reference to history or any other real-life data, and your imagination request can easily turn into a strong case of a provocative and successful beginning to a startup pitch deck delivery. 

Maximize quotes

A bit more classic to some degree, entrepreneurs tend to use quotes as final thoughts to their pitches. Move it up to your pitch deck opening and you could easily have a powerful attention-getter. 

Tip #5: Consider your whole deck

In the end, managing a great attention-getter should be the start of more business meeting follow-up requests. Yet, bear in mind that your hook is just a great start to a business presentation. 

Since we can rely on your hook’s attention peek to be lost after the first 5 minutes of your presentation, the rest of your business pitch success truly lies in every single step that follows all the way to your last slide. 

Related: What is a Pitch Deck Presentation: A complete Presentation Guide with examples.

We wish you the best in your upcoming business presentations. And always remember to bring up your slides to the next level with the AI-powered design of Slidebean!

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Top strategies and tips for creating awesome marketing presentations

Curious about how to make an engaging marketing presentation? Whether you’re new to slide design and need to present a marketing strategy or just looking for ways to make your deck more effective, you’ve come to the right place.

Designing an effective marketing presentation doesn’t have to be a challenge. If you have the proper strategies and know what makes content both visually appealing and engaging, you can easily nail your next presentation.

In this article, we’ll discuss what a marketing presentation should include and give tips on how to do a marketing presentation that actually work.

So let’s get into it!

What is marketing presentation?

A marketing presentation is a set of slides in PowerPoint, Keynote, or any other software accompanied by a presenter’s speech. They aim to introduce new products, drive sales, and get the audience acquainted with a new product or service.

Marketing presentations can also help you solve problems related to spending every marketing penny wisely and stir interest in the offered product or service. All that’s required from you is understanding current design trends, knowing your audience, and using helpful tips for marketing presentations in PowerPoint from this article.

What to include in the marketing strategy presentation?

A marketing presentation has to include information about the new product or service, how it differs from that of the competitors, what channels you intend to utilize to sell it, etc.

Let’s examine the seven components of a good marketing presentation.

1. Marketing objectives

The first step in creating a marketing presentation is recognizing and defining the gap between the target audience’s problem and the solution (your product or service). There are several ways to go about it, but one method used most frequently by seasoned marketers is customer surveys, which help find out what the target audience thinks the market lacks.

Alternatively, you can identify the gap by researching and closely observing industry trends.

Keep in mind: your marketing goal is to eliminate this gap.

2. Value proposition

Value proposition means the strategy you’ll use to attract clients to your product or service. What are its price and quality, unique selling points, etc.? You can use this information to explain to your target audience why they should choose your product over that of your competitors.

3. Market segmentation

You cannot sell your product in the same manner in the US and the Mideast. Both markets are unique in terms of culture and habits. That’s why your marketing presentation should discuss the cultural similarities and differences and your strategy for distributing localized promotional content. It also should include information about your target audience and their purchasing habits.

Here’s a good marketing segmentation example:

4. Brand positioning

Brand positioning is all about the target audience’s perception of your product or service. It will influence everything — from the funds you have to set aside to the marketing channels you have to use.

What should a client associate your brand with? For instance, when someone mentions Versace, we automatically picture richness and style.

5. Customer journey map

How do your customers shop? Before shopping at a physical store, do they see ads on mobile phones or TV commercials? Or do they shop online? You can better understand how to lead them toward the purchase by simply defining their purchasing path. This should be stated in your marketing plan ppt.

Here’s what an online shopping customer journey map looks like:

6. Marketing mix

Your marketing presentation has to cover strategies using which you are going to promote your product or service, including the 4 Ps of marketing:

• Product: What are you going to sell?
• Place: Where will you sell it (online or in a physical store)?
• Price: How much your product or service will cost?
• Promotion: How will you create awareness of your product or service (ads, social media campaigns, etc.)

Any marketing plan or social media strategy requires an effective marketing funnel to be created and proper channels to be promoted. To follow expected campaign success and ROI, make sure to define what channels work best within the invented funnel.

7. Market analysis and measurements

How do you intend to assess your marketing efforts?

Tracking the effectiveness of digital marketing campaigns is rather simple: you can rely on SEO, social media metrics, and other tools. But how can you create a comprehensive analysis and measurement strategy when your overall revenue originates from many sources, such as cross-device sales and physical purchases? Your marketing presentation should also include a detailed answer to these questions.

Now that you know what components are necessary for creating a clear marketing plan, let’s look more closely at how to make your marketing presentation one that your target audience will remember.

Tips on creating effective marketing campaign slides

1. Make your marketing presentation about your audience

Understanding your audience, environment, interests, and preferences is the first step to developing stunning marketing presentations that sparkle the audience’s interest.

• Is your audience C-suite executives, seasoned marketers, or entry-level employees?
• What are their core emotional and physical needs?
• What are their pain points and motivations?

Answers to these questions will help you put yourself in the audience’s shoes and determine how to cater to their needs.

2. Built empathy

Don’t just focus on your desires and say what you want. Instead, focus on the audience’s side of the story and create empathy with your target audience.

• Here are three ways to do just that:
• Speak directly about what you’ll do for the audience.
• Give them a plausible vision of a better life.
• Ask if they have any fascinating marketing stories, or share yours with them.

It all will help set the relaxed tone for your presentation.

3. Start your presentation with a hook

We know. It’s not easy to start a marketing plan presentation. You are nervous, and the audience might be surfing the web or talking among themselves. Getting its attention is a tough task. But there is an effective way to go about it: start with a hook. It might be a quote, question, or reference to the good or service you’re about to introduce. The idea is to sparkle the interest of your audience in what is to come.

Here’s a great example:

4. Create more slides with little content

People working for corporations, especially senior managers or C-suite executives, can view dozens of presentations daily. It can be very challenging to hold their interest for an extended time.

One of the biggest mistakes most presenters make is putting too much information into one slide to conclude the presentation faster. In a marketing PowerPoint presentation, you should absolutely avoid doing this. Remember, it’s better to have 200 slides will little content than 50 heavily loaded with information.

5. Simplify as much as possible in marketing presentation ppt slides

As you create each slide, ask the question, “What is its purpose?” in the context of the company’s business goals. This question is pertinent to the whole slide and its specific elements.

Don’t be afraid of white spaces; fill your presentation with meaningful pictures and legible text.

Highlight only one concept on each slide. Make more essential elements large and bright and the less important ones small and close to the background color.

Always strive to have numerous slides that contain not only walls of content but also pictures, animated GIFs, and other interactive elements, and follow the rule of three.

6. Keep a story flow to create the best marketing presentation

Any information needs to be structured. A few are interested in countless numbers, data, and statements telling little. Your audience is still people who prefer organized facts, representing a logical sequence and a connection.

At the storytelling stage, highlight information that will help convey your message and combine it into a single canvas.

Focus on the story. Contrast the story. Unite the story.

Answers to these questions will help you formulate the general presentation goal and choose the most appropriate structure:

• What do I want the audience to do?
• What do I want them to remember?
• Do I evoke emotions, intrigue, or conflict between real people or views (conflict of values, ideas)?
• How do I want them to react?
• Do I have an introduction, problem, solution, and conclusion?

7. Provide real-life examples and insights

Nothing beats having relevant information and insights to back your content. Your audience could be more interested in learning what you concluded from the data and how you arrived at that conclusion than just wanting to see random numbers on the slides.

Additionally, make sure to give a clear explanation of how you intend to use this information to your benefit.

8. Follow the latest trends in marketing presentations

Try to keep up with the times and design your slides so that they don’t feel like a relic of the past. After all, the level of the audience’s confidence in you as a presenter will depend on how well you design your presentation.

Some great examples to follow:

9. Pay attention to the visual hierarchy

It’s crucial to think about how the audience will interpret the information you’re presenting when creating a presentation. Most people instinctively move to the top of a slide before moving from left to right to evaluate the remaining information. Depending on how your content and visuals are organized, your audience will process visual data either in a Z or F pattern.

People that use a Z pattern scan information from top left to right before moving diagonally to the bottom of the page. Then the human eye processes the visual information from left to right. This viewing pattern is perfect for marketing presentation slides with many graphs or still pictures but few text blocks.

People frequently go from the top left of a slide to the right in an F pattern when slides contain a lot of written content. They follow this pattern until they reach the bottom of the page. This arrangement makes the material easy to follow and helps keep the audience’s focus.

10. Choose legit fonts

The fonts we use significantly affect the presentation’s tone, feel, and appearance, so choose wisely and stick with 2-3 fonts at most.

We recommend you go for fonts like Verdana, Georgia, Montserrat, etc. They are easy to read and contrast well with each other.

11. Make sure your presentation is uniform

When designing a marketing presentation, most presenters frequently concentrate more on the content and neglect the visual appeal, which is a bad practice.

We recommend choosing a solid theme or using brand colors and typography in your marketing presentation design. This way, you’ll not only get efficient and effective slides but also will help your audience get acquainted with your brand.

12. Keep color psychology in mind

It’s unquestionably true that specific colors can affect consumers’ purchasing decisions, making them a critical design choice for any marketing presentation.

There are numerous distinct ways that color can affect the audience’s emotions. It may draw their attention to particular sections of the marketing strategy slides or even create positive memories.

Here’s what colors work well together:

13. Use five colors at most

It’s common practice to use no more than 2-3 colors on one slide, taking into account the primary background color. And up to five colors are advised throughout the entire presentation. The reason is simple: a large number of colors interferes with reading and information processing.

14. Strive for harmony

Visuals can make or break your presentation, so ensure all images and icons used are high-resolution and consistent with all other design elements. More to it, every image should be accompanied by text in the appropriate font and suitable background.

Remember, the presentation design aims to set the general tone and evoke certain emotions and associations among the audience, not just to please the eye.

15. Create sharable moments

We live in times when everyone wants to tell their friends about what they’ve been doing or learning. People appreciate having a “natural” opportunity to discuss details or memorable moments during a conference or marketing presentation.

One of the ideal ways to do this is to have quotable moments or catchphrases in your PowerPoint marketing presentation that the audience can share verbatim or as a photo or video.

These may include fresh market tendencies, particular benefits of your product or service, or other intriguing information that other people would find helpful.

Remember to add your social media hashtag for the target audience to tag your company.

16. Joke and be sincere

Practice how to laugh at yourself even during presentations. There are many TEDx talks about investigating this skill. Take a look. Conclude. Smile. The audience will appreciate your ease of communication and ease of speech.

Creating a marketing presentation ppt doesn’t have to be a daunting, nerve-wracking process. If you need assistance creating a professional marketing presentation, don’t hesitate to contact our custom presentation design agency. We’d love to help you take your marketing presentation to the next level!

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• 50 tips on how to improve PowerPoint presentations in 2022-2023 [Updated]
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• Keynote VS PowerPoint
• Types of presentations

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Delivering a successful event presentation

Presentation Hooks: the 13 most successful presentation hook examples

Wouldn’t it be great if every single person who attends your presentation gets excited at your speech and stays tuned until the end, focusing on you the entire time? Have you seen any presentation hook examples that really got you involved in the presentation?

As presenters, the problem is that we always lack presentation hook ideas to start the  presentation .

If you want to catch the attention of your audience , however, you must really hook your audience from the very beginning.

Did you know that you normally lose 90% of your audience within the first 5 minutes of your presentation ?

If you get 60 minutes to present, you do not get 60 minutes worth of attention. In fact, the typical attention span in an hour-long meeting goes something like this (Source: Sequoia Capital ):

Your hook is often the difference between a successful effective presentation and a very boring one. Think about it.

If you don’t grab your audience right away , you’ll lose them forever.

You went through all that work of preparing a killer presentation , right? You worked hard at it. You did a ton of research and you spent a lot of time carefully taking care of every single slide .

However, the truth is that if your introduction sucks, your efforts will be for nothing. Well done, my friend, you lost before you even got started! 

If you want to spread your  presentation hook ideas so that they resonate with your audience , you need to conquer them from the very first moment you talk to them. How to hook the audience ?

Let me show you how.

Attention Getters for Speeches and Presentations

If you Google the topic “ Presentation hook ideas “, you’ll find plenty of public speakers and pitch experts who will give you their top 5, top 10, top (x) advice points on how to create the perfect hook persuading the audience .

I have identified commonalities and summarized the most impactful, shared and successful presentation hook ideas coming from the top experts below and I’ve enriched them with real life dedicated examples.

Below you’ll find a long list of presentation hook examples with a whole bunch of ready to use ideas to use.

How to Start a Presentation: Attention Getters

Pre-hook: interact with the speakers first.

When you speak at a conference, it’s very rare that you are alone. There might be other speakers like you, and you might not be the first one to talk. I like not being the first speaker, as this allows me to listen to the others carefully and improve on my own presentation .

If somebody speaks before you, it’s always a good strategy to connect your intervention to their speech .

Every time I’m invited to give a speech at a conference, I always request to join from the beginning, even though I’m not the first speaker. By doing so, I can listen to the other speakers, take notes and prepare my hook .

By connecting your intervention to the others, you show respect to the other speakers and you demonstrate that you have been an active listener while you were in the audience ; you’ll give a good example on how you expect your audience to behave during a speech.

Moreover, you create a connection that contextualizes your intervention into the flow of the conference and you turn the separated speeches into a dialogue that you trigger by commenting on the other speeches. By creating a dialogue atmosphere, the audience will wake up from the previous speech and connect with you .

Now you are ready for your hook!

How to Make a Good Hook: Presentation Hook Examples

Let’s take a look at the top 13 presentation hook ideas you can use to start your presentation and focus your audience ‘s attention on your message:

1. Storytelling

Starting with a story is one of the oldest and most powerful methods of introducing your presentation .

Storytelling is a good hook for  a speech because it shows you are human and shows you have feelings, emotions and reason. It is even more powerful if you start with a personal story.

The audience will feel close to you and will trust you. If you earn their trust, you’ll get their attention.

Normally when you start talking, people are tired from the other speeches, and their attention level is not ready for your core message or your call to action. You will need to start slowly and take them in gradually. A story is common to everybody, and it’s easy to follow .

In most cases, it’s very effective to start with a story. You don’t really need to introduce yourself at the beginning. Your introduction can be postponed to when the audience will be really listening to you .

If you start telling them why you’re good, you’ll immediately build distance from the audience , you won’t be perceived as one of them, so it will be harder for the audience to connect with you.

Psychologist Shawn Achor explains that the happy secret to better work starts straight away with a funny personal story about his childhood and keeps going until 2 minutes fifty, until the audience sympathizes with him, and so gives the audience his message.

Shawn shoots the message when he is sure that he has 100% of the audience ‘s attention , not before. He only gives information about his prestigious background (“When I applied to Harvard […]”) at 6:32, after he has passed the core message.

Still, he feels normal and empathetic to the audience when he shares the feeling of being an average guy surrounded by smarter guys, in such a great university. Therefore, he makes sure that his background does not bring him away from the audience.

Making the slides for this kind of hook will be very easy because all they need to do is help the audience visualize the story .

Therefore, all you need is just a sequence of beautiful full-screen pictures. If you are telling them a personal story, show personal pictures. This will make them feel how real your story is, and it will catch their attention .

Learn more about how storytelling applies to presentations : Forget slides, tell stories.

I want to show you a trick for perfect presentation hook examples. If you do not want to tell a personal story or you do not have one, I’d suggest you invent one!

After all, we have plenty of pictures on our social media channels we can leverage to invent an ad hoc story. The most important thing is that your story appears real, because if the audience thinks you are tricking them, they won’t trust you and you’ll lose any chance to connect with them.

How do you tell compelling stories?

How do you tell stories that your audience wants to hear?

How do you make them feel really engaged with your story?

What about the story of your brand?

There are many storytelling formulas you can leverage recommended by my friends from Buffer.com – 11 Storytelling Formulas to Supercharge Your Social Media Marketing

The reality is that storytelling is more than just telling stories.

What do I mean?

Recently I’ve found myself in the challenge of turning a boring presentation into a powerful story.

Taking in consideration the audience of my client that day, the story was the only possible solution for a manager who needed to share her experience in front of millennials at the university.

The way storytelling infused power to my presentation left me astonished, I think you should have a look at what happened that day: Storytelling techniques for presentations [Real case study].

If you have no creativity, you could even take inspiration from websites that offer stories by keywords like BusinessBalls . In BusinessBalls, for example, stories are characterized by keywords:

2. Questions and audience interaction

One of the most common errors that presenters commit nowadays is thinking they are one step above the audience, just because they came to present.

We are in the era of “listening” today, more than ever before, with the advent of social media. If we want to be listened, first you need to listen .

Presentations aren’t an exception.

If you want to give a successful presentation, first you need to build a one-on-one relationship with your audience and start a dialogue .

What’s better for engagement than asking questions to your audience from the beginning of your presentation?

Questions turn on people’s curiosity. Their brains will begin figuring out the answer. If they know the answer, they want to know if their answer is correct. If they do not know the answer, they might get involved and focus on the speaker in order to get the answer.

In any case, answering a question works like a reward, because people feel satisfied by the fact that they canceled one more doubt. People’s curiosity will make them focus on you to find the answer. 

When you ask question, you pair up with your audience as they feel like they’re in your position, and they want to help you answer the question. If you are perceived as one of them, you’ve won their trust and therefore their attention.

There are several kind of questions you might want to ask as good hook for a speech:

Yes/No questions

These questions help you interact with the audience. Having just simple answers, all you need to do is to ask people in a sequence to vote for “ Yes ” by raising their hands and then you can ask people to vote for “ No ” to do the same.

You can adopt this technique every time you have a multiple choice question, so the audience can vote for a single option by raising their hands.

You could ask how they’re affected by the problem you’re going to solve during your presentation.

• “How many of you get so frustrated with PowerPoint when it crushes? “
• “Raise your hand if you’ve fallen asleep during a presentation”.
• “Who struggles every time you need to choose colors for your next presentation? “

This is a good technique to use for checking the audience responsiveness. When you ask a Y/N question, people naturally answer loudly, so you’ll immediately know if most of them are still awake.

Open-ended questions

Using open-ended questions, you expect the audience to develop an answer. This is the typical situation of a Q&A session, and can be useful in those situations as a presentation hook example.

However, this technique enables you to open a real discussion with members of the audience. However, people may answer what they feel without a filter, so they can impede you if you are uncomfortable with their answer.

This is an incredibly powerful technique for creating presentation hook ideas , but at the same time, you risk getting controversial opinions by freeing people to develop their discourse.

Also, be sure that everybody can be heard when talking from the audience, because they’re not standing in front of everybody with a microphone.

Sometimes you have a hostesses who may bring the microphone to people for them to answer, but this depends on the size of the event. You’ll be in charge of picking somebody from the audience to answer.

A good practice is to repeat the answer to the audience in order to make sure everybody heard it. By doing so, you’ll give them the feeling of being part of the dialogue and you will show that you are careful to keep everybody in the loop .

Rhetorical questions

Rhetorical refers to those questions asked by a speaker who does not expect to receive an answer. Even though you know you don’t want an answer, the audience does not know if it’s a rhetorical question.

Their brains will be automatically triggered to elaborate an answer. Just by doing so, you’ll turn on their brains and you’ll catch their attention .

In order to maximize the effect of rhetorical questions, I recommend you to pause just after you ask.

People will be forced to think of an answer. If you talk too quickly and you skip immediately to the answer, they won’t have the time to think about the answer.

If you show you are thinking of the answer in real time, this will help you to make the audience feel close to you. They’ll feel involved and they’ll try helping with their answers. This already means that they are interacting with you, so you’ll have their attention.

Finally, if you choose this technique to open your presentation, I’d recommend you select the right number of questions based on their form . You do not want to open a full debate during your hook.

If you decide to go for open-ended questions, you won’t make more than one or two. On the other hand, if you ask a sequence of questions where the audience needs to raise their hands, you can ask more.

Question with surprise effect

A cool trick you could use for your presentation hook ideas is to send the audience in one mental direction , and then tell them they’re wrong. I know it sounds weird, but let me give you an example of a hook.

You ask a question and you give 3 possible options: A, B and C.

You ask the audience to vote for one of the 3 options . Once they vote, you tell them that none of the answers were correct. At this point, they’ll feel surprised and you can hook them, then show them the correct one.

You could build your speech step by step, commenting on why the 3 options are wrong . In this way, you’ll bring the audience to the message more naturally.

When I want to introduce the color theory for Lean Presentation Design , I commonly ask my students how many colors we need to use in a presentation, and I give them 3 options.

However, none of them is right, as I want to show them the technique on how to choose the best color palette to make colors work in the most effective way.

After the vote, they feel they have it wrong, so they want to know what the correct answer is. That’s a great hook for presentation.

Direct questions

Direct questions can be scary, and that’s why this is a powerful technique !

In this case, you ask the question and you pick someone random from the audience to answer. However, if the person does not know the answer or if they’re shy, they’ll feel embarrassed.

You need to be able to manage the embarrassment , or you’ll immediately create a tense atmosphere. However, people will know that you might call them all of the sudden to join the dialogue. Therefore, they’ll pay attention to avoid being caught unprepared.

Again, I recommend you to handle these situations carefully, because you do not want to recreate the atmosphere of a classroom exam.

Introduce yourself

I really like this technique and, more than the other presentation hook examples, I often use it during my training as a powerful icebreaker .

Instead of starting with you or your speech, start with your audience and ask them to introduce themselves one by one. I also like to add a question about what they expect to learn during my training , so I already set their expectations and I’m sure I’ll talk about something relevant to the audience.

One of the most common problems during presentations is that the audience isn’t interested in the topics discussed. On the other hand, it’s true that it’s often hard to know what everybody expects from the presentation, so what could be better than just asking them what they are looking for?

Knowing the people in front of you also enables you to acquire knowledge about your target and their language, so it will be easier for you to connect with them.

I suggest you to take note when people talk so that you can use the information during the rest of the presentation to hook them again.

For example, if I know that somebody comes from finance and wants to know how to present an ugly P&L, when I’m about to talk about that topic I can call his name and say something like, “Hey Anders, the coming section is the one you are interested in” . By doing this, I’ll wake him up and I’ll get his attention.

Another great technique to craft outstanding hook examples, is to discover the names of your attendants, so every time you talk to them, you can use their names . This will make them perceive you very close to them.

3. State a shocking fact

This is one of the classic presentation hook examples that leaves the audience with their mouths open, staring at you. To create this effect, you normally use a surprising statistic .

You can capture their attention by reminding them of their fears. If you properly leverage uncertainty, you can create anxiety due to the unknown, and people will need your answers to overcome their fears.

Jorge Soto uses this technique in his TED speech when he claims, “1 out of 3 people sitting in this audience will be diagnosed with some type of cancer”.

People are scared of cancer, so they want to listen to him to find out if he can provide them with a solution.

There are 2 ways to astonish your audience:

Did you know that…

When you start with the formula “Did you know that…? ” and add the fact, you are creating expectations. The trick is to choose the most effective stats to make the audience interested in your message. Therefore, you need a statistic that matches your presentation.

To get the right fact, it’s often a good practice to do some research in your field. But you can also find websites full of facts that you can use as hook sentence examples:

• Did you know August has the highest percentage of births ?
• Every 40 seconds someone in the world commits suicide.
• Did you know that unless food is mixed with saliva, you can’t taste it?
• Did you know the average person falls asleep in 7 minutes ?
• The Earth is being shaken by Earthquakes over 1 million times per year .
• Did you know 8% of people have an extra rib ?
• Did you know all your blinking in one day equates to having your eyes closed for 30 minutes ?

When deciding to choose this technique, your slides will play a crucial role. Check the difference between the two slides below:

The one to the left is made with a powerful graphic, but the second one shows the consequences of an earthquake. It shows destroyed buildings and the army helping people. The second one shows a dramatic situation, so it makes the problem immediately relevant, as it brings the consequences to life.

Imagine how much stronger the message could be if the city represented is the same city where your audience lives. If you can relate scary facts to the audience, you will resonate with them and you’ll be able to get their attention .

Facts first

In this case, you shoot the fact straight to your audience and then you introduce the consequences.

Giulia Miur (check the analysis) gives an example:

Before the rule, more than 50 people here were dying in trenches every year. When you get killed in a cave-in, it’s not an easy way to go. You’re literally crushed to death under the weight of the soil. Soil weighs approximately 3,000 pounds per cubic yard. Nobody deserves to go to work and die that way .

Finally, when you use a provocative fact as a way to hook your audience, I’d recommend you to make sure you integrate the fact with emotions. Always keep in mind that you need to use a fact with relevant consequences to your audience.

4. Use quotations to grab them

Opening with a famous quotation is a great way to borrow credibility from somebody who is well recognized and accepted by everybody. There are tons of presentation hook examples that use quotations.

The beauty of a great quote is its power to distill. To punctuate. To make things click. Sometimes the moral is presented on a plate, obvious as can be; sometimes the delivery is more subtle and sly. No matter how they’re served up, the best quotes resonate – for days, weeks, even years. Forbes

Quotes play a curious effect of attributing to the speaker the values and the meanings behind them.

However, even though they have a powerful communication effect , they need to be used carefully.

In fact, you absolutely need to be sure that the quote you choose matches your message.

It needs to be relevant to what you want to say. Take your time to scan the sources and find the best quote for the specific message you have to communicate.

There are different kind of quotes you can use to obtain this effect:

Hook famous quote

They just have a powerful and commonly accepted effect on people. If you can associate the quote to a resonating image, you’ll hit your strike on the very first slide.

Say I want to present a new technology for snowboards. I could use the following slide to introduce my speech:

You can source tons of famous quotes on the web. Let me share with you some of my favorite sources:

Presentation Hook Examples: movie quotes

Movies play a central role in most people’s lives. Movie quotes are a common knowledge and often part of jokes or slang.

Starting with a famous quote allows you to quickly connect to the audience, wake them up and creating presentation hook examples .

I’m presenting a new sailing boat brand. Instead of start saying why our boats are faster, with better sails and so on, I could start with the meaning behind the brand by quoting Captain Jack Sparrow:

If I want to sell plastic surgery to women, I could open my presentation with the following quote:

I’m clearly copying Joe E. Brown in “Some Like It Hot” and I’m combining it with an image that allows me to introduce my message. With a simple quote and a related picture, I can mean whatever I want by borrowing the powerful communication effect from Joe.

You could source famous quotes from many different places and use them as unlimited source of presentation hook ideas, let them inspire you!

• AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes

Hook foreign quotes

You could also broaden the border of your quotes or proverbs and go catch some famous ones abroad. If your audience has never heard the quote, they could discover a new powerful proverb thanks to your speech.

Let’s make the presentation hook example of a company that produces yellow umbrellas. You could start with the famous Italian proverb shown in the slide below:

You can source many foreign proverbs from: site for foreign proverbs .

One more fantastic source of inspiration for quotes is Pinterest . You just type in “quotes” and it gives you many tags to combine to customize your research.

It also gives you some inspiration as all the posts associate an image to the quote.

Do not let Pinterest take your place . Remember that for this technique to work properly, you need to associate a meaningful image to the quote so that it delivers your message. Therefore, use it for inspiration but don’t let it do your job.

Another good way to leverage quotes is to adopt a controversial approach. You could also go against quotations and revert them: A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. But we need to remember that a journey to nowhere also starts with a single step. Bruna Martinuzzi

This will make the audience curious, as you are challenging a common belief. So they’ll want to hear how this can be possible and will focus their attention on you.

Another great technique to introduce quotations for your presentation  hook ideas is to use a picture of the author :

If you are talking about a famous author, you’ll automatically inherit the values that they bring with them.

Finally, remember that quotes are a powerful way of making your presentations memorable to the audience . Leverage the opportunity to hook them since the beginning with an opening stunning quote.

5. Break common belief and provoke the audience

Provocation can be a great tool to hook your audience and to raise their curiosity . By provoking the audience, I mean you have to claim something that is totally against their belief.

You’ll then spend the whole presentation supporting the claim and demonstrating how it can be true. If you are able to uncover the truth step-by-step, you’ll have them hooked to the end.

Let me give you an example from the outstanding TED speech of Jane McGonigal :

I’m Jane McGonigal. I’m a game designer. I’ve been making games online now for 10 years, and my goal for the next decade is to try to make it as easy to save the world in real life as it is to save the world in online games. Now, I have a plan for this, and it entails convincing more people, including all of you, to spend more time playing bigger and better games. Right now we spend three billion hours a week playing online games. Some of you might be thinking: “That’s a lot of time to spend playing games.” Maybe too much time, considering how many urgent problems we have to solve in the real world. I’ve calculated the total we need at 21 billion hours of game play every week. […] In fact, I believe that if we want to survive the next century on this planet, we need to increase that total dramatically.

This is the point where the audience thinks:

“ Wow! Hold on a second. Are you really claiming that to save the world I should be spending more time playing video games?”

The common belief is that video games are a way to escape reality and to waste productive time. We all think that the new generations are burning their lives in playing video games.

But suddenly at TED, an influential speaker is claiming exactly the opposite and this makes the audience curious to know how it can be true that the reality is so different to what they thought.

Jane is also great at uncovering the message step by step through the presentation . The audience can’t really figure out why this is true until the very end. So Jane proceeds to hook the audience with a persuasive claim and keep them hooked until she shoots her message.

Finally, go against something the audience is convinced of and claim the opposite. Then walk them through your logic step by step to show how this is possible, and you’ll get their attention from beginning to end. This is a good presentation hook example .

6. Bring it to life

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is an English idiom meaning that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single image, or that an image conveys its meaning more effectively than a description.

What makes a good hook in this case?

Opening with a picture, a video or a prop allows you to bring the subject to life immediately .

If you are a good presenter, you’ll be able to leverage the imagination of your audience, but if you place the subject in front of their eyes, it’s not even a matter of imagination, it’s just true.

Let’s suppose you are in charge of presenting the new Apple SIRI, the virtual assistant. You could start talking about the features and all the functions it has, you could tell your audience how to activate it on their iPhones, or you could just show them the following video:

Watch out, because surely this takes attention off you, so it decreases the pressure level.

But you need to be able to catch the attention back immediately .

If you use a picture or a prop, this goes very fast because the processing time of a picture is very fast, and a prop is normally shown by a presenter, who interacts with it.

If you show a video instead, you’ll lose the attention of the audience for entire the length of the video and you’ll need to re-catch it once the video is finished .

A video, more than a picture, can help you convey a whole emotional environment to the audience. You can show a product demo, but you can also show a powerful trailer with music and enticing footage. This is a perfect tip for outstanding presentation hook examples and ideas.

7. Make them laugh

Not an easy task, I know. To make the audience laugh, sometimes a joke might not be enough and on certain occasions, the audience might miss the joke, causing a no reaction at all.

Looking at what the other influencers suggest online, as a result of my analysis, I’ve found a common opinion about how to make the audience laugh. Tell them a joke.

You can easily source jokes online if you do not have one.

What happens if they do not laugh? Well, your hook is dead but this does not mean that you ruined the whole presentation, so ignore the reaction and keep going.

Now, based on my experience, often telling a joke is not enough because to make people laugh, you need to feel the moment, you need to feel the connection with them and you need to behave in a such surprising way that you automatically trigger the fun.

In the following presentation, I was giving an introduction lesson about Lean Presentation Design and I made them laugh just by playing with the rhythm of my voice and showing them what could happen to the audience if you show them ugly slides.

So I showed them an ugly slide and then I showed them the sleeping audience. That was enough to make them laugh. I can tell you that afterwards, they were receptive, paying attention up to the end of the presentation.

8. Leverage historical events

Let’s say you work for a company that produces solar panels and wind turbines. The company closed a bad financial year and you, as a CEO, need to go out today, 26 th of April, to motivate your board and get their commitment for the coming year.

Instead of reminding them that they won’t receive a bonus this year and that if they perform better, they will for the next year, you could motivate them by giving meaning to their work.

You could take advantage of that date (26 th of April), show the following slide and saying, “About 10 years ago in Ukraine, a catastrophic nuclear accident occurred. Today, we exist to give the world an alternative”.

Your start will empower your board members. They’ll feel their work is important and has a real impact on the world, it saves lives. From now on, you can make your presentation because you will have them hooked.

9. Trigger the audience imagination

Imagine a big explosion as you climb past 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary.

Plane crash survivor Ric Elias begins his speech by bringing the audience back to the event, straight into the story, triggering their imagination and making them visualize the scene of the plane crush. By using the word “ imagine “, he turns on the people’s minds and force them to start seeing the images and feeling to be there.

A very effective way of using this technique is beginning with “ Close your eyes and imagine “. Because in closing their eyes, people will focus on image visualization, not being distracted by the environment or the speaker. Moreover, you could prepare a surprise for when they re-open their eyes.

You could also begin with a “ what if … ” form.

You could depict an ideal scenario that could actually be true if they listen what you have to say. Of course, it has to be a desirable scenario for the audience. Let’s say you invented a cure for cancer, you could start saying, “ What if cancer deaths stop today?” Build on it.

“ What if you could no longer lose someone close, a parent or friend, because of cancer?” and so on. You can keep going and build up expectations, and the farther you go, the more curious the audience will be.

10. Straight to the Problem

Start the presentation by describing the problem straight away . Be sure that the problem is relevant to the audience if you want your hook to resonate with them.

Let me give you a very simple example.

“Good morning, everybody. Competitor A took us over in terms of revenue this year and we have nothing with which to return fire”.

Now, if you work in that company, you might be interested in this fact and therefore you would want to know what comes next, to check whether there is a solution or if the speaker can just walk you closer to a solution.

If you give a clear and relevant problem to the audience, then this is a very quick technique to hook them from the very beginning without spending time searching for specific visuals or the right quote.

Elon Musk in the Debuts of Tesla Powerwall presentation made a memorable speech that started with this technique.

So, what I’m gonna talk about tonight is about a fundamental transformation of how the world works about how energy is delivered across the Earth. This is how it is today

It’s pretty bad, it sucks! Exactly! I just wanna be clear, because sometimes some people are, like, confused about it. This is real. This is actually how most power of the world is generated, with fossil fuels, and if you look at the curve, that’s a famous curve, the Keeling curve…

He hooked the audience bringing their attention straight to a well-known shared problem ; this is a good presentation hook example.

…which shows the growth in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, and every year it ratchets up, it gets higher and higher, and if we do nothing, that’s where it’s headed to levels that we don’t even see in the fossil record.

Well, I think we collectively should do something about this and not try to win the Darwin Award for us and a lot of other creatures too.

At this point, he starts with his discourse:

The way the grid works today is this: you got coal, you got natural gas, nuclear, hydro and wind and solar […].

11. Set the expectations

First of all, I want to make it clear that setting expectations does not absolutely mean sharing a summary of your presentation like the one shown in the slide below.

That would just bore your audience even before you start the presentation, and won’t add anything to them.

Let’s take an example from Cordell instead, who tells we should leverage the hook to go straight to the point and tell the audience:

• What about the topic
• What you need to know
• What you need to do

In this case, the audience feels more like you take care of them and you are saving them time by giving them only the information they need to know to take the proper action, which you’ll suggest as well.

In his 40.2 million views TED speech, Sir Ken Robinson gives an anticipation of 2 main topics that have been discussed by the others and that he wants to discuss during his presentation.

Check the first 2 minutes of the video below.

Without any special effects, Sir Robinson starts anticipating two main topics he will discuss and connecting his speech to the conference.

This technique isn’t creative at all compared to the others, but it is extremely powerful because tells the audience that they won’t waste their time and you’ll go straight to the point.

Imagine the scene when you come up on the stage and the first thing you say is, “Today, I’ll be telling you two things…”

A presentation hook examples technique comes from the outstanding presentation of Steve Jobs for the launch of the first iPhone. He sets the expectation and goes far beyond just exceeding them!

If you haven’t watched this video yet, you’ll be astonished:

Today we are going to introduce 3 revolutionary products of this class: the first one is an iPod.

The second is a revolutionary mobile phone.

And the third is a breakthrough internet communication device.

So, an iPod, a phone and a revolutionary internet communication device.

At this point, he keeps repeating the same sentence, telling the audience the three devices that he’s going to introduce.

At this point, the audience starts laughing and clapping his hands because they think he is happy about these 3 new devices, but here he comes out with an explosive surprise.

These are not 3 separate devices, this is one device!  

Boom! The audience goes crazy, he’s got them hooked from the very first moment of the presentation.

12. Use a surprising metaphor

Start with an image, just to create a suspense effect linked to your message and then uncover your message step-by-step with a metaphor .

The president of an electronics equipment company needed his managers to cut costs. Rather than showing mundane charts, graphs, and spreadsheets, he opened the meeting by asking, “What sank the Titanic?” When everyone in unison replied, “an iceberg,” he displayed a beautiful high-definition image of an iceberg on the screen: the tip of the iceberg was clearly visible above the water; the much larger portion was dimly visible below the surface of the water.

The same thing is about to happen to our company, he continued. Hidden costs — the dangers beneath the surface — are about to sink this company. I need your help. This visual metaphor spawned a creative, productive brainstorming session that inspired every business unit manager to diligently hunt for what they labeled the “icebergs”, says Price. The result was saving millions and ultimately the company.

Trying to imagine his opening slide, I designed the following graphic:

Mentioning the Lean Presentation Design Book here, you get a famous tip from Seth Godin:

The home run is easy to describe: You put up a slide. It triggers an emotional reaction in the audience. They sit up and want to know what you’re going to say that fits in with that image. Then, if you do it right, every time they think of what you said, they’ll see the image (and vice versa).  Sure, this is different from the way everyone else does it. But everyone else is busy defending the status quo (which is easy) and you’re busy championing brave new innovations, which is difficult.

13. Combine more hooking techniques together

We went through a long list of presentation hook ideas coming from all the most influential speakers on the net. You’ll have to choose your technique based on the specific situation and on your audience. However, nobody said you can’t combine more of them together to craft your special perfect opening.

In the following video, Alan Watts , master of storytelling, combines two presentation hook techniques we have analyzed.

First, he asks couple of rhetorical questions to the viewer and then introduces a story from his personal experience with his students.

It takes time to get to the message but when he gets there, you feel that what he’s telling you is the natural consequence of the story that brought you there (good hook for a presentation).

As a result, you are hooked from the beginning and the video results in impactful and memorable storytelling .

What did this video make you think? Did you like it? I just love this video and I like listening to this storytelling, as it is incredibly impactful.

The Hooking Strategy Map

For those looking to explore a structured approach to crafting engaging presentation openings, “The Hooking Strategy Map” provides a comprehensive guide. Designed to assist individuals in creating impactful beginnings for their presentations, this resource outlines a variety of strategies tailored to different audiences and contexts.

Each strategy is accompanied by real-world examples, common pitfalls, and the potential impact on audience engagement. By leveraging these techniques, presenters can effectively capture attention and maintain interest throughout their talks, ensuring their message is both memorable and persuasive.

Whether you are aiming to tell a compelling story, pose thought-provoking questions, or surprise your audience with a shocking fact, this map serves as an invaluable tool in your presentation toolkit.

Click to download

Try one of these presentation hook examples

A good hook for a speech launched in the first seconds of the presentation is the difference between success and failure.

Now you have 13 presentation hook ideas , and a long list of videos and examples from which you can take inspiration every time you need to make a new hook.

If you liked this piece of research, I’d invite you to share and comment in order to enrich the guide and make it even more useful, thanks to the contribution of new readers. I’m looking forward to seeing your presentation hook ideas described in the comments below.

Have you ever successfully hooked you audience? How did you do? What are your favorite presentation hook ideas?

Let me know your presentation hook examples.

Key Takeaways

The First Five Minutes are Critical : The majority of your audience’s attention is lost within the first five minutes. Capturing their interest from the start is essential to keeping them engaged throughout the presentation.

Storytelling is Powerful : Opening with a personal story can humanize you as a speaker, making the audience feel more connected to you. It’s an effective way to build trust and maintain attention.

Engage with Questions : Asking questions, whether rhetorical or direct, triggers curiosity and interaction. This technique can quickly turn passive listeners into active participants.

Start with a Shocking Fact : Presenting a surprising statistic or fact can immediately grab attention. It works well if the fact is relevant to the audience and relates directly to the topic of your presentation.

Use Quotations Strategically : A well-chosen quote can lend credibility to your message. It’s important to ensure that the quote is relevant and enhances the point you’re making.

Break Common Beliefs : Challenging the audience’s preconceived notions with a provocative statement can spark curiosity and keep them hooked as you unfold your argument.

Incorporate Visuals : Beginning with a striking image, video, or prop can bring your topic to life and make it more relatable. Visuals are processed quickly and can make your message more memorable.

Humor Can Be Effective : Starting with a joke or a light-hearted comment can relax the audience and make them more receptive to your message. However, timing and relevance are key to making humor work.

Set Expectations Early : Clearly stating what the audience will gain from your presentation can help align their focus and make them more engaged in the content.

Use Metaphors to Simplify Complex Ideas : A surprising metaphor can create a strong mental image that helps the audience understand and remember your message. It’s a subtle yet effective way to convey deeper meanings.

How can I keep my audience engaged throughout a presentation?

To keep your audience engaged, start with a strong hook that captures their attention from the very beginning. Use storytelling, surprising facts, or interactive questions to create an emotional connection with your audience and maintain their focus throughout your presentation.

What is the importance of a presentation hook?

A presentation hook is crucial because it determines whether your audience will stay engaged or lose interest early on. A well-crafted hook can make your presentation more impactful and memorable by grabbing attention and setting the tone for the entire talk.

Can storytelling be an effective hook for a presentation?

Yes, storytelling is one of the most powerful presentation hooks. By sharing a personal or relatable story, you can create an emotional connection with your audience, making them more likely to listen to and trust you. Stories also help to humanize the presenter and make complex ideas more understandable.

How can I involve my audience in the presentation?

You can involve your audience by asking interactive questions, encouraging them to participate in discussions, or using live polls. Interaction keeps the audience engaged and helps to create a dynamic and responsive environment, making your presentation more impactful.

What are some examples of presentation hooks?

Some effective presentation hooks include starting with a surprising fact or statistic, using a relevant quote, telling a compelling story, or posing a provocative question. Each of these hooks can capture the audience’s attention and set the stage for a successful presentation.

The 13 most successful hook ideas ever 

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Maurizio La Cava

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Comments on Presentation Hooks: the 13 most successful presentation hook examples

Thanks for the article – this was a fantastic resource for putting together my upcoming seminar presentation.

Great tips and ideas to focus on to get the audiences engagement

Mark Peter Quitorio

Very Nice, it helps me a lot to explore this techniques

I wanted to stop by and give my genuine feedback on your website. I really enjoyed to read your content, I think it’s interesting and very well written. I’ve been on your website for an hour or so and very enjoyed it.

I didn’t find your Instagram page though, do you have one?

Best, Yalla

Like a fine thoroughbred, you need to hit the ground running by starting strong. Instead, many presenters are more like old, tired workhorses—they start weak by wasting those first precious seconds with platitudes and pleasantries. Brain research shows that we don t pay attention to boring things. Surprise your listeners with a hook that immediately grabs their attention.

This was great information especially for my presentation

I love the way you practice what you profess to be true. Usually I flip through websites about public speaking… It’s pretty much all the same. YOURS WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. You actually showed us with words, with online examples, and with the presentation of your own message: Presentation hook examples. YOU KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK!!

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Table of Contents

How to Use Attention-Grabbers to Engage Your Audience (With Examples)

• The Speaker Lab
• June 19, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever found yourself tuning out during a speech or presentation? We’ve all been there. Capturing an audience’s attention is no easy feat, but it’s crucial for effective communication. That’s why in this article we’ll explore some attention-grabber examples that can transform your next talk or piece of writing. From rhetorical questions to startling statistics, these techniques are designed to hook your listeners right from the start. As you’ll soon find, the power of a good opener can’t be overstated.

What Are Attention-Grabbers?

An attention-grabber is a technique used to capture your audience’s interest right from the start, whether you’re giving a speech, writing an article, or teaching a class. No matter your context, attention grabbers serve a crucial purpose: they make your audience want to keep listening. They create a connection and pique curiosity, setting the stage for the rest of your message to be heard.

Types of Attention-Grabbers

There are many different types of attention-grabbers you can use, depending on your topic and audience. For example, you could start off by including humor, thought-provoking questions, surprising statistics, personal anecdotes, vivid descriptions, or powerful quotes. The key is choosing an attention-getter that feels authentic and relevant to your overall message.

Purpose of Using Attention-Grabbers

Also known as a “hook,” an attention-grabber helps get your audience interested in what you have to say. It’s a way to stand out, create a positive first impression, and motivate people to keep engaging with your content. A strong attention-getter sets the tone and lays the groundwork for a memorable message.

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Examples of Rhetorical Questions to Use as Attention-Grabbers

Before you can use a rhetorical question as your attention-grabber, you first have to know what one is. A rhetorical question is a question asked to make a point, rather than to get an answer. It’s a thought-provoking way to get your audience to reflect on your message and engage with your content on a deeper level.

In order to use a rhetorical question effectively as an attention-grabber, make sure it’s relevant to your topic and audience. It should spark curiosity and lead naturally into the rest of your content. So avoid questions with obvious answers, and don’t overuse this technique—one or two well-placed rhetorical questions are usually enough. Below are a few examples of rhetorical questions you might use as your attention-grabber.

• “What if I told you that everything you know about [topic] is wrong?”
• “Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if [scenario]?”
• “Why do we [common behavior], even though we know [consequence]?”

Rhetorical questions are a powerful way to get your audience thinking and create a sense of intrigue around your message. When used strategically, they can be an incredibly effective attention-grabber.

Using Quotes to Grab Your Audience’s Attention

Another way to start a speech or article is with a compelling quote. There’s just something about the wisdom and authority of a well-chosen quote that immediately lends credibility to your message . When you cite a respected figure or expert in your field, it shows that you’ve done your research and that your ideas are backed by others. Quotes can also be a great way to evoke emotion or set a certain tone for your content.

Choosing the Right Quote

When selecting a quote to use as an attention grabber, look for something that is relevant to your topic and audience. Additionally, the quote should be memorable and meaningful, and it should come from a reputable source. Avoid overused or clichéd quotes, and make sure to properly attribute the quote to its original speaker or author. For example, notice how each of the quotes below has its original speaker listed directly after, making them perfect attention-grabbers.

• “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
• “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

A well-chosen quote can be a powerful way to grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for a persuasive and memorable message. Just remember to use quotes sparingly and strategically for maximum impact.

Engaging Your Audience with Startling Statistics

Want to instantly grab your audience’s attention and show them why your message matters? Try starting with a surprising statistic that relates to your topic. Statistics are powerful attention-grabbers because they confront your audience with a concrete, indisputable fact that challenges their assumptions. When used effectively, a startling statistic can create a sense of urgency and make your audience more receptive to your message.

How to Find Relevant Statistics

To find startling statistics to use as attention grabbers, look for reputable sources like academic journals, government reports, and industry publications. In addition, make sure the statistic is current, accurate, and directly relevant to your topic. Avoid statistics that are overly complex or difficult to understand—the goal is to create an immediate impact.

Examples of Statistics to Use as an Attention-Grabber

• “Did you know that [shocking percentage] of [group] experiences [problem]?”
• “Every [timeframe], [large number] of [things] are [action].”
• “By [year], experts predict that [shocking trend] will [predicted outcome].”

Startling statistics are a highly effective way to grab your audience’s attention and make them sit up and take notice. Just be sure to choose your statistics carefully and that you’ve fact-checked each one.

Grabbing Attention with Anecdotes and Personal Stories

There are plenty of examples of attention-grabbers that you can use to engage your audience. Of these, one of the most powerful ways to connect with an audience is by sharing a personal story or anecdote. There’s just something about a well-told story that immediately draws people in and creates a sense of empathy and connection.

The Power of Storytelling

Stories are a fundamental part of how we communicate and make sense of the world. When you share a personal story or anecdote, you’re inviting your audience to step into your shoes and see the world through your eyes. This creates a powerful emotional connection that can make your message more relatable and memorable.

How to Craft a Compelling Anecdote

To use an anecdote as an attention-grabber, choose a story that is relevant to your topic and audience. The story should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, and it should illustrate a key point or lesson. Use vivid sensory details to bring the story to life, and practice telling the story out loud to refine your delivery.

Examples of Anecdotes to Use as an Attention-Grabber

• “When I was [age], I had an experience that changed my perspective on [topic] forever.”
• “I’ll never forget the day I learned the hard way that [lesson].”
• “Growing up, my [family member] always used to say [quote]. It wasn’t until years later that I truly understood what they meant.”

Personal stories and anecdotes are a powerful way to grab your audience’s attention and create a lasting emotional connection. By sharing a piece of yourself, you can make your message more authentic, relatable, and unforgettable.

Using Humor to Hook Your Audience

If you want to liven up your presentation, then humor is your secret weapon. The right quip or amusing story not only breaks the monotony, but also makes sure people are hooked and stay focused on your message. Humor also helps to break the ice and create a sense of rapport between you and your audience.

How to Use Humor Appropriately

Of course, not all humor is appropriate for all audiences or situations. When using humor as an attention-grabber, it’s important to know your audience and choose jokes that are relevant and inoffensive. In addition, avoid humor that criticizes others or relies on stereotypes. If you need ideas, consider the examples below, all of which are perfectly suitable as an attention-grabber.

• “I always wanted to be a [profession], but I soon realized I was better suited for [humorous alternative].”
• “You know what they say – [common saying]. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s not always true. In fact, [humorous contradiction].”
• “I once [humorous mistake or misunderstanding]. Needless to say, I learned my lesson.”

Used appropriately, humor can be a highly effective way to hook your audience and keep them engaged throughout your presentation. Just remember to keep it relevant, tasteful, and targeted to your specific audience.

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Incorporating Sensory Details to Capture Attention

Have you ever noticed how some speakers have a way of transporting you into their story? Chances are, they’re using vivid sensory details to create a rich, immersive experience for their audience. Sensory details are descriptive words and phrases that appeal to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. When you incorporate sensory details into your attention-grabber, you create a more vivid and memorable experience for your audience. This helps to grab their attention and keep them engaged with your message.

How to Use Sensory Language Effectively

To use sensory language effectively, focus on the most relevant and evocative details for your topic and audience. Use specific, concrete language rather than vague or abstract descriptions. Engage multiple senses when possible, and use figurative language like metaphors and similes to paint a vivid picture in your audience’s mind.

Examples of Sensory Details to Use as an Attention-Grabber

• “Imagine biting into a ripe, juicy peach, feeling the sticky juice run down your chin as the sweet, fragrant flavor explodes on your tongue.”
• “Picture a serene mountain lake at dawn, the glassy surface of the water reflecting the pink and orange hues of the sky, the only sound the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore.”
• “The acrid smell of smoke filled the air, stinging my eyes and throat as I stumbled through the darkness, my heart pounding in my chest.”

By incorporating sensory details into your attention-grabber, you can create a more immersive and engaging experience for your audience. Sensory language is a powerful tool for grabbing attention and making your message more memorable and impactful.

FAQs on Attention Grabbers

What is a good example of an attention grabber.

“Imagine living on Mars in 2040.” This question makes your audience think and draws them into the conversation.

What is a good attention getter?

A shocking statistic, like “Farmers and ranchers make up less than 2% of America’s population,” instantly hooks listeners by highlighting unexpected facts.

What are some attention grabbing phrases?

“Did you know that we have only explored 5% of the Earth’s oceans?” This phrase sparks curiosity and engagement right away.

What is an example of an attention grabbing hook?

Telling a brief story, such as how overcoming fear led to skydiving, captivates audiences with personal connection and anticipation for what’s next.

You now have some potent tools in your arsenal with these attention-grabber examples. Whether you’re starting with an intriguing question, a personal story, or eye-opening stats, each method serves to hook your audience and keep them engaged. The magic lies in choosing the right one for the moment and delivering it confidently. Keep practicing and refining, and soon enough grabbing attention will be second nature!

• Last Updated: June 12, 2024

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• Presentation

How to Hook Your Audience with An Effective Opening?

• January 15, 2023

The success of a presentation often hinges on its effective opening moments. The moment you have an opportunity to gain your audience’s attention and make an impact on them on the stage. This critical phase is where the presentation hook comes into play. In this article, we’ll delve into creating a captivating presentation hook, exploring what an author should do to hook the audience at an effective opening, how to attract their attention, and why the hook is indispensable in Presentation design services .

Have you ever heard a TED talk that was so captivating, it practically drew you in from the very beginning? The starting point of any presentation can be just as important as what comes afterward. When done well, it sets the tone for an engaging and gripping experience. To help get your own presentations off to an unforgettable start, here are some amazing examples given by top-notch TED speakers!

Table of Contents

What Is a Presentation Hook?

A presentation hook is the effective opening statement or segment of your presentation designed to grab your audience’s attention and hold it. It serves as the “hook” that reels them in, setting the stage for the content you’re about to deliver.

Why Is the Hook Important?

• First Impressions Matter: Your audience’s initial impression can shape their perception of your entire presentation. A strong hook in presentation ensures this impression is positive and engaging.
• Engagement and Retention: Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and retain the information you present. A well-crafted hook sets the stage for heightened engagement.
• Audience Focus: People have shorter attention spans in today’s fast-paced world. The hook reorients their focus to your presentation, making them more receptive to your message.

Now that we understand the significance of the hook let’s explore what an author should do to hook the audience effectively.

HOW TO START?

When I’m invited to share my ideas at a conference, there’s always the potential for great synergy with those of other speakers. With this in mind, I take time before each presentation to glean what insights and strategies they have shared so that their messages can be echoed or further fortified during mine. This allows me not only to thoughtfully craft an engaging introduction but also to leverage any intriguing concepts introduced by previous presenters – creating something greater than the sum of its parts!

By demonstrating active listening and linking your intervention to other speakers’ perspectives, you set a strong example for others on how one should engage in meaningful dialogue. This can make a lasting impression during any speech or presentation!

By unlocking a deeper exchange between presenters, you can draw the entire audience into an engaging dialogue. By responding to their ideas and connecting previous discussions with your own intervention, everyone in attendance is awoken from any potential stagnation felt during prior presentations. Transform mere speeches into something truly memorable!

What Should an Author Do to Hook the Audience?

1-know your audience.

Before crafting your hook, it’s crucial to understand your audience’s needs, interests, and expectations. Tailor your hook to resonate with them. Are they looking for information, inspiration, or entertainment? Adjust your approach accordingly.

2-Craft a Compelling Story

Stories have an inherent ability to captivate an audience. Begin your presentation with a narrative that’s relevant to your topic. A relatable story can draw listeners in emotionally, making them more invested in your message.

3-Pose a Thought-Provoking Question

Asking a question at the outset invites your audience to think critically. Make it a question highlighting the problem your presentation addresses or challenges conventional wisdom. This creates curiosity and anticipation for your insights.

4-Startle with a Surprising Fact or Statistic

Shocking or intriguing facts and statistics can jolt your audience out of complacency. Begin with one that’s directly related to your topic. The element of surprise will grab their attention and set a tone of curiosity.

5-Use a Powerful Quote

A well-chosen quote from a respected authority or a thought leader can lend credibility to your presentation. Ensure the quote aligns with your message and serves as an enticing preview of what’s to come.

Tips for effective hook in presentation

Make a provocative statement..

How do you get people to actually listen? An economics professor found the answer: he delivered his talk with 4.8 million views and counting, using blunt humor that called out all of those making excuses for not achieving their goals and dreams. His statement wasn’t subtle – it was boldly provocative, stirring up surprise, amusement, curiosity and fear in equal measure…and didn’t require any traditional presentation methods at all!

Incite curiosity.

After 20 long years of keeping a secret, Dan Pink decided to set the record straight and divulge what had been on his mind. He boldly proclaimed that he was about confess something embarrassing which would be difficult for him to admit — an event so life-shaping that it left many in attendance wondering: What could possibly be this deep dark secret?

Shock the audience.

Jane McGonigal knows how to get an audience’s attention – by making bold and unexpected claims! In her introduction, she made a statement that left many listeners wondering if it really was possible. But not only did Jane make good on this promise by revealing the game design behind it – but also supported its incredible feasibility with rigorous scientific research too. Listen in for the full story of how gaming can actually lead to increased resilience!

Tell a story.

Shawn Achor has found the secret to being more productive–and it starts with a wonderfully nostalgic childhood story! According to this renowned psychologist, positive psychology is not only effective but essential when looking for ways to become more efficient. With plenty of evidence backing his case, Shawn shows us how pursuing happiness leads us down an even brighter path towards productivity than we could ever have imagined.

Be authentic.

Brene Brown knows how to draw in an audience. She opens her talk on confronting shame by confessing that she was embarrassed about the insights shared during her most well-known TED speech, one focused on embracing vulnerability. Through this brave and revealing story, Brown allows listeners to connect with their own experiences while delivering a clear message of authenticity above all else.

Quote an influential person.

Andrew Solomon successfully grabs his audience’s attention with a powerful Emily Dickinson quote to kick off his discussion on depression. His poignant words are even more compelling as they illustrate the heavy emotions that accompany this often-misunderstood condition, emphasizing its prevalence and impact in society today.

Begin with a captivating visual.

Revolution can seem like a mammoth task, requiring the rallying of people around a cause–usually with an awe-inspiring leader at its head. But is that really what happens? In his TED talk, Derek Sivers reveals otherwise. With eye-opening video footage to back him up, he explains how movements get going in ways we don’t expect – and why it doesn’t take much for something small to become big!

Ask a question.

What if you had the power to learn how to manipulate people’s perceptions? World-famous pickpocket Apollo Robbins dives deep into this question with an attention-grabbing presentation that has provoked more than 10.5 million viewers worldwide and challenged us all about what we think is real or not.

Use silence as a marketing tool.

Amanda Palmer demonstrates how powerful a tool silence can be in presentations. With nothing more than her breath and an insightful prop, she commands the attention of any room — proof that this dramatic technique is sure to capture your audience if employed correctly. While not all presenters may feel comfortable with such bold moves, those who do have access to a powerful way of gaining captivated listeners right off the bat!

Start with a prop.

Susan Cain shows us the power of props when engaging an audience. She uses a physical object to recreate her first summer camp experience, captivating viewers with its vivid visuals and adding a dramatic effect that keeps everyone’s eyes glued on hers while she takes center stage.

Jokes that convert: laugh and learn

Pamela Meyer highlights how powerful a combination of humor and surprise can be in giving an engaging talk. Her effective opening statement – essentially accusing the person to her right of being liar – grabs everyone’s attention, which propels them through her thought-provoking presentation featuring shocking statistics like “on any given day, we’re lied to up to 200 times”. Since it was uploaded online 13 million people have watched this eye-opening speech!

Use the word “imagine.”

Ric Elias invites his audience to use their imaginations and enter the harrowing scene of a plane crash survivor. Drawing from personal experience, he challenges them to “think of” or “picture this,” allowing for an even more immersive story-telling experience.

How to Hook Your Audience’s Attention During a Presentation?

1-start with a story or anecdote to capture your audience’s attention.

The very first time I realized that my voice could be helpful in a presentation was when someone asked me to give an impromptu speech at school. All of the other kids were too shy, but not me! From then on out there would always seem like some kind person who needs what they have got going on and so we connected really well over this common ground – our ability to help others feel seen or heard whatever situation may call upon us for service.”

2-Use visual aids such as graphs, charts, or images to help explain your points

People are more likely to pay attention when they can see what you’re talking about. Make sure your visuals are clear and easy to understand.

3-Make use of humor – but be careful not to offend anyone!

Humor is a great way to keep your audience engaged and it’s not necessary if you’re being too jokey. Make sure there aren’t any offensive words or phrases in the text, though!

4-Speak in a clear and concise manner so that everyone can understand you

This is so important to remember that it’s really the cornerstone of public speaking. If your audience isn’t following you or comprehending what you’re saying, they won’t be very interested in listening and watching for much longer than necessary! 

5-Move around the stage and use hand gestures to keep your audience engaged

There are some people who believe that if you’re just standing in one spot the whole time, your audience will get bored quickly. But as a result of this boredom, they may wander off and stop listening or watching altogether! To avoid any negative consequences like these from happening move around while talking so hand gestures can help keep them interested enough for what’s coming next – remember to use plenty (and varied) facial expressions too because it bring life back into our words when spoken aloud.

6-Pauses for emphasis can be very effective in grabbing the attention

Pause for effect! Pause your speech to let people really listen and process the information. This can be especially effective if you’re trying to make an important point that needs emphasis, so don’t just breeze through without giving them time to think about what’s being said or how it applies in their lives.”

7-Asking questions is a great way to get your audience involved

The more you involve your audience, the better. They’ll be much happier and more attentive if they feel like this is an event that’s happening just for them!

8-End with a strong conclusion that leaves your audience wanting more

You want your presentation to be memorable, so make sure you end on a high note! Thank your audience for their time and let them know where they can find more information.

How to Attract Audience Attention

Creating an effective presentation hook is just the beginning. To maintain your audience’s attention, employ these strategies throughout your presentation:

Dynamic Body Language

Your physical presence matters. Move purposefully, make eye contact, and use gestures to emphasize key points. A dynamic presenter is inherently more engaging.

Vary Your Vocal Delivery

Monotony is the enemy of engagement. Adjust your tone, pitch, and pace to match the content. A well-modulated voice can hold the audience’s interest.

Visual Aids and Multimedia

Incorporate visuals, videos, and multimedia elements strategically. These can break up text-heavy slides and provide visual stimulation.

Interactive Elements

Engage your audience by asking questions, conducting polls, or inviting participation. Interactivity keeps listeners actively involved.

Relatable Examples

Use real-life examples and anecdotes that your audience can relate to. Stories from everyday experiences make your content more accessible.

The Presentation Hook: Your Gateway to Engagement

Imagine you’re sitting in an auditorium, attending a seminar or conference. The speaker steps onto the stage and begins with a long string of data and statistics, droning on about the subject matter without any context or intrigue. How engaged do you feel in that moment? Chances are, not very.

Now, picture a different scenario. The speaker begins with a riveting story, a surprising fact, or a provocative question that piques your curiosity. Instantly, you’re drawn into the presentation eager to learn more. This is the magic of the presentation hook—a powerful tool for captivating your audience from the very start.

The Hook in Presentation: Crafting Your Effective Opening

Now that we’ve explored a presentation hook and how to attract and maintain your audience’s attention, let’s put these principles into action. Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting an engaging opening for your presentation:

Step 1: Know Your Audience

• Identify your audience’s preferences, expectations, and pain points.
• Determine the primary objective of your presentation: inform, persuade, entertain, or inspire.

Step 2: Choose Your Hook

• Select a hook that aligns with your audience’s interests and your presentation’s purpose.
• Consider using a captivating story, a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact, or a powerful quote.

Step 3: Craft Your Opening

• Introduce your hook confidently and clearly.
• Ensure your hook directly relates to the main topic of your presentation.
• Keep your opening concise; the hook should be a brief preview, not the main event.

Step 4: Transition Smoothly

• After your hook, smoothly transition into the core content of your presentation.
• Provide a brief overview of what your audience can expect.

Step 5: Maintain Engagement

• Throughout your presentation, use the strategies mentioned earlier to maintain audience engagement.
• Emphasize key points, use visuals effectively, and keep the energy level high.

Now that we’ve explored a presentation hook and how to attract and maintain your audience’s attention with effective opening, you may be thinking that it is next to impossible for you, the presenter of an academic paper or talk show host who has just begun speaking with their guest on camera. But there are ways around this problem! In order to keep attention span during presentations by using eye contact and voice tone which will make sure your audience stays engaged throughout all videos presented thus far- try looking into peoples’ eyes when mentioning specific facts; use excited tones while talking about exciting topics such as technology innovation cycles taking place now within various industries. Remember not only do these techniques work wonders at attracting.

What is a strong opening for a presentation?

Just start your words by asking your audience to visualize a scenario related to the main idea of your presentation. You need to see the topic from the audience’s perspective, which can help the audience relate better to your narrative. 

What is an example of a hook question in a presentation?

Questions could be as simple as: “How many of you have ever done ‘x’?” Or “What do you do when ‘y’ happens?” For example, in a salary negotiation presentation, I might start by asking the audience, “What do you say when an interviewer asks about your current salary?” Asking this question engages your audience.

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Communication, facilitation, targeted learning, ​powerspeaking blog: tips and strategies for crafting presentations, hook, line, and sinker: grabbing audience attention with a great opening.

by PowerSpeaking, Inc.     Sep 21, 2016 1:40:19 PM

One of the things that can trip up some subject matter experts who are tasked to make a presentation is their opening. Often it is the first 30 seconds to a minute that sets the tone for the remainder of your presentation — grabbing audience attention and holding it.

Your opening, whether it's a single sentence or a few lines, is where a presentation can be made or broken. It's your chance to hook them, tickling their curiosity so that you can slowly reel them in throughout the rest of your presentation. So how do you captivate an audience with your opening? Follow these tips for creating a great opening.

'Open With the Fire'

"When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire," says advertising executive David Ogilvy. This cuts to the core of a successful opening line and why this first moment is so important. You may have a relatively small window before an audience tunes you out, so be concise. In your opening, don't waste time establishing your credentials or detailing research background — there will be time for that later. Instead, start with something that cannot be ignored, a dramatic hook that gets people thinking, wondering, and stops them in their tracks.

Simplicity, Not Basic

How many presentations have you seen that started with "Today, we will be discussing..." or "I just want to go over...?" These kinds of introductions are very basic, announcing to the audience what they can expect from the following presentation. They are very often quite boring, akin to a summary at the beginning of a thesis statement. But — from a stylistic perspective — what works for an academic journal doesn't usually work when spoken aloud.

Instead of this basic approach, jump-start the presentation with a simple and compelling insight. " The color green is not what it appears to be."  What could this possibly mean? Well, if you are a scientist explaining how our brains perceive color, it means that the way one person sees the color green may differ from the way another person sees it. By opening with this line, you can essentially define your thesis statement ( our perception of color is subjective ) without being overly dry, boring, or getting too into the weeds with data. 

Although, it is important to note if you are presenting to decision makers, we teach in our Speaking Up course to present your first line as your bottom line. To say exactly why you are there and what you want is appropriate and not basic for this audience. This is a universal principle derived from our extensive executive interviews.

Ask Questions, Foster Engagement

Even better than starting with insight is to begin your presentation with a question — rhetorical or otherwise. Taking the example above, instead of saying " The color green is not what it appears to be, " try framing it as " Do you know what green really is? "

This begins your presentation with an automatic level of audience engagement: By posing them a direct question (one you can answer in good time), your audience begins thinking about the words you are saying and questioning their own assumptions. You aren't  telling  them something, you're making them think. This can have a powerful effect, preparing an audience to fully receive and consider what you are about to say.

Give It Personality

Subject matter expert presentations often end up heavy on data, light on personality. Even if you are presenting to a room full of your peers, you'll have an easier time grabbing their attention with a touch of humor or by starting with a personal anecdote than leading with research. The goal is to connect these insights to something personal to your audience by using your personality; your audience can see themselves in you.

Be Evocative - But Leave Them Wanting More

In her 2012 TED Talk, video game designer Jane McGonigal  started with this dramatic line :  "You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk."

This is the definition of an evocative opening, the kind that makes people sit up straighter in their chairs and lean towards you. She has effectively made her talk a  literal  matter of life and death, ensuring that her audience stays glued to her every word — her words, after all, could ensure a longer life. Crucially, she stops just short of telling the audience  why  it will give you a longer life because she doesn't  need to . The audience is already in rapt attention, meaning she can take her time and eventually double back to explain her opening. 

Having a great opening can make or break your presentation. Once you hook your audience, you will have the time and trust to build your case. Start strong and engagement will follow!

Related Blog Posts:  Eliminating, Uh, Filler Words from Your Presentations ,  Here's To Your Successful Toasts ,  Hook 'Em in With Impactful Openings

Join Us in Conversation . . .

Make Storytelling Your Power Skill

Thursday, august 15, 2024, 9-10:00 a.m. pt/12-1:00 p.m. et/5-6:00 p.m. bst.

CEO, Let's Grow Leaders

Laura Nespoli

Strategic storyteller & public speaker.

Communications Manager, Concussion Legacy Foundation

Payal Gandhi Hoon

Master facilitator and coach, powerspeaking, inc..

Karen McDonagh Reynolds

Transformation director & board member, london market joint ventures, powerspeaking, inc..

Topics: techniques for public speaking , tips for public speaking , tips for improving public speaking , great openings , grabbing audience attention , Public Speaking

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Hook, Story, Offer: Your Framework for Marketing Success

You have a great product or service … but the world isn’t noticing. 

You’ve tried clarifying your message, using catchy copy, overhauling your website, and spending more money on paid advertising.

So why aren’t you seeing a return on your investment in digital marketing? 

You’re probably missing one (or all three!) of these pieces — a hook, story, and offer — in your marketing framework. 

Or maybe you have these components, but they’re too weak to turn prospects into customers. 

Russell Brunson is the co-founder of Click Funnels who popularized this framework. He said, “If something’s not working in your [sales] funnel, it’s always either your hook, your story, or your offer. Every time.” 

We want to give credit where credit’s due: our team has learned a lot about this framework from Brunson. Today we’re breaking it down for you. Whether you’re creating digital marketing content for a product page, Facebook ad, webinar, sales funnel, or website, this framework will convert the curious into customers

We’ve emphasized the importance of inviting people into a story because your customers think in terms of narrative, even if they don’t realize it. We’ll cover this component next in greater detail.

First, every story begins with a strong hook — a statement that makes customers respond, “Whoa. I have to know more.” 

Here are three important things to keep in mind when you’re working on a hook:

1. The hook does not increase the value of the product or service — that’s the job of the story and the offer.  

  Remember, a hook’s main job is to pique curiosity. A hook is usually a short, bold statement that grabs attention. 

2. The hook shows the target audience you understand their problem.

Even though a hook is short, it should still communicate empathy and mention the prospective customer’s pain point. The first sentence of this blog is an example of a hook that demonstrates empathy.

3. Different hooks will catch different customers.

When you’re fishing, you use hooks with different shapes and sizes depending on the kind of fish you’re hoping to catch.

This concept extends to digital marketing too. You should have an ideal customer or client — we’re not advocating that you try to market to everyone. But the individuals that make up your target audience are also unique and will respond to different hooks. Have fun with hooks and “cast” different ones. Test different ways to catch the attention of your target audience and take note of what works best.

Narrative is the brain’s default “grid” for interpreting reality. So how do you win over prospects? 

You invite them into a story . 

After you’ve grabbed your target audience’s attention with a strong hook, you’ll want to tell a good story about how your product or service alleviates their pain points and changes their state or destiny. 

You can do this a couple of different ways. 

First, you can tell a story with you at the center. Talk about how you had the same problems yourself until you created a solution that solved them and changed your destiny.   

Second, you can tell a story with your target audience at the center. We recommend going with this story whenever possible. In this scenario, your target audience is the hero, and you’re their guide telling them how your product or service will help them on their journey toward change.

People always have some objections before investing in a product or service. In your story, you want to dismantle those objections or hesitations. When you’re writing your story, ask these questions:

• What hesitations or objections does my ideal customer have that I can resolve? 
• What false beliefs do they have about my product or service? 
• What false story are they living now, and how does my story trump theirs?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be able to tell a better story prospects will want to sign up for.

The offer is the last component of this framework for digital marketing success. 

An offer is more than a product or service — it’s a product or service bundled with other things to increase the value. 

Here’s the good news: when you create an offer, you’re not decreasing the price to compete with other brands. You’re adding value to make your offer irresistible!   

So what can you offer to increase the value of your product or service? Here are some ideas:

• Free shipping
• Two products for the price of one
• A free Ebook with their purchase
• A discount on your product in exchange for a monthly subscription
• Ongoing customer service
• A video with step-by-step instructions on getting the most out of your product

Brainstorm ways to increase the perceived value of your offer and capture that in your marketing framework. This is called a “value stack” because you’re building a “stack” of reasons your target audience should invest in your product or service instead of someone else’s. 

If you want to learn more about creating an irresistible offer, check out this short video by Russell Brunson. 

Hook, story, offer: these are the 3 ingredients for a successful marketing framework. If you’re investing time and money in digital marketing but not seeing results, try revising your framework in light of what you’ve learned today. If you still need help refining your hook, story, or offer, schedule a call today . Our team at Sigl Creative is always excited to adapt this framework to any brand, product, or service so you can share your passion with the world. 

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Off The Hook Restaurants Taps Bailey Richard as New Director of Marketing

Off The Hook Restaurants announced the appointment of Bailey Richard as the new Director of Marketing, Communication, and Compliance. With an impressive background in strategic marketing and brand activation, Richard is set to spearhead the company’s efforts to enhance its market presence and ensure adherence to industry standards.

In his new role, Richard will be responsible for driving the marketing strategy across all Off The Hook locations, managing internal and external communications, and overseeing compliance initiatives to align with both company policies and regulatory requirements. His expertise will be instrumental in shaping the brand’s narrative and expanding its footprint in the competitive restaurant industry.

Bailey Richard brings a wealth of experience to Off The Hook, having previously held senior marketing positions. His innovative approach and proven track record of successful campaigns, strategic planning, and grassroots marketing make him a valuable addition to the team.

“We are excited to welcome Bailey to our leadership team,” said Paxton Moreaux – CEO, at Off The Hook Restaurants. “His vision and expertise will be crucial in elevating our brand and maintaining our commitment to excellence. We look forward to his contributions and the fresh perspectives he will bring.”

Richard expressed his enthusiasm about joining Off The Hook, stating, “I am delighted to be part of such a dynamic and forward-thinking organization. I look forward to collaborating with the team to drive our marketing initiatives, enhance our communication strategies, and ensure we continue to meet and exceed industry standards.”

Bailey Richard’s appointment marks a significant step forward for Off The Hook Restaurants as it continues to grow and adapt in an ever-evolving market. The company is confident that his leadership will play a key role in its ongoing success.

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•  » 
• Moscow Oblast
• Chernogolovka
• Hotels & Travel
• Travel and transportation

Travel and transportation in Chernogolovka, Moscow Oblast

Neighborhood

• Moscow Oblast
• Noginsky District
• Chernogolovka
• Distance to Ivanovo

How long will the trip take?

If you are traveling by car and will drive at an average speed of 39 ml/h or 63 km/h at least 24 hours per day, then you will need 3 h 44 m to get to your destination .

Calculate the cost, fuel consumption

The consumption of petrol or other fuel that is used in your car on the entire route is 6.7 gall or 23.6 lit. at a consumption of 10 lit./100 km or 22 MPG that will cost you about $23.4 at the cost of petrol $3.5 per gallon. If you plan a roundtrip the fuel cost will be $undefined.

To get more precise information, depending on the cost of petrol and fuel consumption of your car, please use the fuel consumption calculator on this page.

Share your experience with others

Plan a trip with friends? Do not forget to share with them your itinerary. Send them the link and tell them a bit about your journey. Publish the link of this route in your favourite social network so that friends can learn more about your interesting experience. We wish you a great mood! Yours sincerely, FromTo.City

Chernogolovka, distance between cities

Find the most popular ways to Chernogolovka from other cities or use the distance calculator on this page.

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