how to make a hook for a presentation

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8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips)

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What’s a good hook?

The importance of a good hook, 8 good hooks for speeches and presentations , leave a lasting impression.

When delivering a presentation, the first few minutes are crucial for capturing your audience’s attention. This is your chance to build intrigue around your topic and give listeners an idea of what’s to follow.

The best speakers use powerful hooks for presentations to introduce their topics, build suspense, and spark curiosity . These hooks are sharp and quick to grab attention — the kind that sticks around until the end of the presentation. They can be a surprising statistic, a thought-provoking question , and even a short personal story.

Drafting excellent hooks for presentations is essential to building anticipation and sowing the seeds for your audience’s growing interest. And with a limited window of opportunity to gain your listener’s interest and trust, your hook needs to be as substantial as the rest of your presentation.

A good hook introduces your subject matter , engages your audience, and sets the tone for the rest of the presentation.

Capturing listeners’ attention can be challenging as a presenter, especially if they’re attending out of obligation rather than individual interest. Although it’s wonderful to present to a room full of people eager to hear what you have to say, this won’t always be the case.

Knowing how to make a good hook can set you up for a successful presentation , no matter who’s in the audience. It engages listeners from the very beginning (and might even ignite a disinterested party’s curiosity).

Consider who your audience members are and what they want to learn. Their background should inform the tone of the presentation and lay the groundwork for building an angle.

When giving a presentation on ocean acidification to an environmental board, you could deliver a thought-provoking statistic on coral bleaching or provide a personal story that illustrates ecological changes that have taken place in your lifetime.

Remember: the hook should hint at the value your listeners will gain from your presentation without giving away too much too soon. Don’t spoil the plot twist, but make sure you start foreshadowing.

Impressions are formed quickly, making it crucial for the start of your presentation to kick off on a high note.

According to psychologist Alexander Todorov and researcher Janine Willis, it takes a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger . During this brief moment, we evaluate qualities such as likability and trustworthiness. 

Although coming up with a hook idea that appeals to listeners within a tenth of a second may be impossible, your first few words are important. Knowing how quickly we form perceptions may be intimidating, but with the right intro, a short time frame can work in your favor.

A well-developed and intriguing hook gives your listeners a positive first impression and influences how they interpret the rest of the presentation.

The hook is a key opportunity to show why your topic is exciting or worth considering. Here are eight types of hooks and hook examples to stimulate your audience’s interest, no matter the subject.

1. Make a surprising claim

Starting your speech with a surprising statement or statistic is an excellent way to grab your listener’s attention. A person giving a presentation on the benefits of coaching services to a company’s top executives could share the increase in employee productivity that teams experience after implementing coaching in the workplace.

Example: “Productivity increases 63% in workplaces that provide employees with group coaching services.”

The trick to making a surprising claim? It needs to shock your audience. If you create a statistic-based hook, it must be substantial enough to be of value to your listeners and persuade them to learn more about your topic.

Imagine that the example above only referenced a 5% increase. The executives would likely view the number as too little to invest in coaching services, making them less eager to pay attention during the presentation.

2. Start with a story

Stories are an excellent way to enhance information retention, making them a great tool for leaving a lasting impression on your audience.

According to organizational psychologist Peg Neuhauser, we recall what we learned from a well-told story more accurately than we do from facts and figures . So, if there’s a piece of information you’d like to impart to your audience, consider wrapping it in a short but compelling narrative.

When selecting an anecdote to share, ensure it’s relevant to your topic and resonates with your audience. A story that excites a sales team will likely differ from what an engineering team finds compelling.

Example: When delivering a presentation on the benefits of sleep on mental clarity, the speaker provides a story from your personal experience . They describe a period when construction outside constantly interrupted their sleep and how that negatively impacted several areas of their life, including their career and relationships.

This story uses vulnerability to earn the audience’s trust and segues into the rest of the presentation: breaking down how deep sleep is vital to performing your best.

3. Reference a historical event

This extra creative spin on the storytelling hook relies on a fascinating historical moment rather than your personal experience. The odds that your audience understands the wider context and thus the relevance of your presentation makes historical references good attention grabbers.  

A person giving a product pitch to potential investors could start with an anecdote about when they developed the first iteration of their product.

Example: “Did you know that jeans were invented 150 years ago? On an ordinary day like today, Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis combined metal rivets and denim trousers to create durable work pants for gold rush miners.”

This historical hook creates a captivating opening for a pitch about stylish and wearable apparel. The speaker can lean on this historical reference to introduce a product that’s even more universal than jeans.

4. Ask an intriguing question

Finding a single starting sentence that hooks readers isn’t always easy. But incorporating participation into the start of your presentation is a fun way to hook your audience, even if it’s with a rhetorical question that encourages them to participate mentally.

Your question should be as captivating and intellectually stimulating as possible to pique the interest of each of your audience members. This approach works great for introducing products, services, or projects, as you can present what you’ve been working on as the answer to the question.

Example: “What if there was a way to fight the climate crisis while you cook dinner?”

Remember to pause after asking a question to give your audience time to brainstorm possible answers and stimulate their curiosity.

If you’re giving a business presentation, conduct research beforehand to ensure your question is relevant to your clients. The answer should mean something to your audience or solve a pain point they experience.

5. Contradict expectations

Contradicting a widely held belief is a compelling way to grab your listener’s attention. Do this by starting your presentation with a statement that challenges your audience’s presumptions.

Example: “Hydration isn’t all about how much water you drink.”

This presentation hook intrigues audience members to learn what else is needed other than water to stay hydrated. You can then lead your presentation through several methods for staying hydrated , like incorporating electrolytes into your diet and eating fruits and vegetables with high water content.

6. Show a captivating video

Starting your presentation with a video allows someone else to break the ice for you. Choose a short video related to your topic that easily transitions into your slideshow.

Example: A graphic design team manager wants to introduce new software into their department. They show a video from the product designers that provides an in-depth and visually engaging overview of the software’s features and benefits.

After the video ends, the speaker can move on to slides that describe how the team can leverage the software to improve their workflow and creative outputs.

7. Use a quote from a famous figure

Find a quote from someone admirable that relates to your presentation and impart wisdom to your audience.

Example: Someone’s administering a presentation on professional networking. They use Maya Angelou’s famous quote, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Although this quote can apply to a number of topics, in a networking context , it emphasizes how important it is for people to consider how they make others feel when they first meet. This tells your audience that a critical networking component is connecting with others personally rather than focusing solely on what they do professionally.

8. Show an object

An object can promote interaction and help your audience visualize what you’re talking about. This is especially helpful if you’re pitching a product and want to show listeners what the product looks like in real life and how it functions.

Example: A salesperson presents a new lamp design to a furniture store. They enhance the pitch by bringing the lamp to the presentation and demonstrating its ambient light features.

This strategy also works in contexts when you’re discussing the gravity of a statistic. For instance, if you’re aiming to communicate the dire levels of microplastics in the ocean, you could illustrate the severity by showing the audience a container filled with plastic fragments.

It’s not always easy to grab your listener’s attention when speaking publicly. Using hooks for presentations is one of the most effective ways to fan your audience’s curiosity and earn their engagement from start to finish.

The key is to keep your hook brief, relevant, and engaging. Remember to take the time to know your audience and set up your presentation to deliver valuable information from the start.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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12 ways to hook an audience in 30 seconds.

Published: October 26, 2021

Updated: October 26, 2021

Do you want to grab your audience's attention from the first sentence? Here's a compilation of great ideas with examples and tips on how to write a good hook.

"When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire," says advertising executive  David Ogilvy . You have only 30 seconds in a TV commercial to grab viewers' attention. The same applies to a presentation. Knowing how to hook your audience in the first 30 seconds of your talk is crucial. This is the time your listeners form an impression of you and of what's to follow. The success of your talk depends upon grabbing your listeners’ attention and keeping them engaged. 

What is a speech hook and how does it work?

A hook is a presentation-opening tactic that immediately captures your audience’s imagination. As the word implies, it’s like a worm on a fishing hook that attracts a fish. A hook instantly engages your audience so that they want to listen to what you have to say.

Your hook must come at the start of your talk. First impressions count. Like a fine thoroughbred, you need to start strong out of the gate. 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 some creative speech attention grabbers.

How do you make a good hook?

Coming up with hook ideas is not difficult if you follow some basic guidelines on how to make a good hook.

A good hook is brief, catchy, well-rehearsed and pertinent to your topic. In brainstorming examples of hooks, avoid the dry and conventional.

For example, let's say you are  delivering a presentation  on investments. Instead of an obvious and trite question such as "How many of you would be unhappy to hear that your house is worth less than you paid for it?" consider using a catchy or thought-provoking question such as "How many of you thought that your home would be your safest investment?"

12 Killer Hooks to Grab Your Audience's Attention

If you're stuck for ideas on how to start with a hook, check out these 12 examples of hooks that will help you grab your audience's attention—and keep it.

1. Use a contrarian approach.

One of the best attention grabber examples is to make a statement of a universally accepted concept, then go against conventional wisdom by contradicting the statement. For example, a market trader starts by contradicting the commonly held advice of buying low and selling high. He says: "It's wrong. Why? Because buying low typically entails a stock that's going in the opposite direction—down—from the most desired direction—up." This tactic is a provocative attention grabber for speeches and it can help engage the audience right away.

2. Ask a series of rhetorical questions.

One of the most common hook ideas is to start with a rhetorical question. Better still, start with a series of rhetorical questions. An excellent example of this tactic is Simon Sinek's TED  presentation  on how great leaders can inspire action. He begins with: "How do you explain when things don't go as we assumed? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions? For example, why is Apple so innovative? . . . Why is it that they seem to have something different? Why is it that Martin Luther King led the civil rights movement?" A series of rhetorical questions stimulate the audience's mind as they ponder the answers.

3. Deliver a compelling sound bite.

Top hook ideas include using a catchy phrase or sound bite that perks up the audience.  To create your sound bite, consider your message and package it in a brief and compelling statement. Then explain how it fits into your overall topic or message.

Take inspiration from speakers such as innovation expert  Jeremy Gutsche  who once used this sound bite in a keynote: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast. This is a sign that is on Ford's strategy War Room. And the lesson from it is not how good your PowerPoint slide deck is; what it really boils down to at the end of the day is how ready and willing your organization is to embrace change, try new things and focus on when you find an opportunity."

4. Make a startling assertion.

When you're stumped for ideas on how to make a hook, use a surprising or amazing fact. That's an easy and sure-fire way to gain people's attention. Take the time to research startling statistics that illustrate the seriousness of what you're going to talk about. For example, a presentation about conservancy can start with: "Every second, a slice of rainforest the size of a football field is mowed down. That's over 31 million football fields of rainforest each year."

5. Provide a reference to a historical event. 

Good attention getters for speeches include mentioning a historical event. There are times when the day you present may have some significance in history that can be tied to the subject of your presentation as an opening gambit. You can quickly look up what happened on any day in  Today In Sport  or a more general site such as  This Day In History . You never know what pertinence the day might have that will add some pizzazz to your presentation. It's worth a look.

6. Use the word imagine.

Another effective attention grabber for speeches is the word “imagine.” It invites the audience to create a mental image of something. Ever since John Lennon's famous song, it has become a powerful word with emotional appeal. A good example is Jane Chen's TED  talk . She speaks about a low-cost incubator that can save many lives in underdeveloped countries. Chen opens by saying: “Please close your eyes and open your hands. Now imagine what you could place in your hands, an apple, maybe your wallet. Now open your eyes. What about a life?” She displays a slide with Anne Geddes' image of a tiny baby held in an adult's hands as she says this. Combining a hook with a visual is one of the most engaging speech attention grabbers.

There is power in asking the audience to conjure up their imagination, to play along. You can easily adapt this tactic to any topic where you want the audience to imagine a positive outcome or a vision of a better tomorrow. You can also use this opening gambit to ask the audience to imagine being in someone else's shoes.

7. Add a little show business.

If you’re looking for ideas on how to make a hook that's entertaining, consider the world of movies. Movies occupy a central place in most people's lives and a well-placed, pertinent movie quote at the start of a presentation can perk up your audience. Perhaps you have your own inspirational quote from a favorite film. You can also find some classics here:  The Best Business Wisdom Hidden In Classic Movie Quotes .

8. Arouse curiosity.

Powerful attention grabbers spark people's curiosity. To do this, you can start with a statement designed to arouse interest and make the audience look up and listen to you attentively. Bestselling author Dan Pink does this masterfully in  one  of his talks. He says: "I need to make a confession, at the outset. A little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I am not particularly proud of, something that in many ways I wished no one would ever know, but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal. In the late 1980s, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school." The hook here leads to some self-deprecating humor, which makes it even more effective.

9. Use quotations differently.

Often-used hook ideas involve the use of quotes. While many speakers start with an apt quotation, you can differentiate by stating the quote and adding a twist. For example, "We've all heard that 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." You can also use a quotation from your own life. For example, in a presentation on price versus quality, I have often used a quote from my grandfather, who used to say: "I am not rich enough to buy cheap."

There are numerous sources for quotations, such as  The Library of Congress , but you might also consider  The Yale Book of Quotations , which brings together over 13,000 quotes. You can also find such resources in app form, including  Famous Quotes  and  Brilliant Quotes .

10. Quote a foreign proverb.

A novel attention grabber for speeches is quoting a proverb from a culture your audience might not be familiar with. There is a wealth of fresh material to be culled from around the world. Chances are your listeners have never heard them, so they have novelty appeal. Here are some examples: "Our last garment is made without pockets" (Italy); "You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind" (Ireland); "The nail that sticks up will be hammered down" (Japan), and "Paper can't wrap up a fire" (China). Whatever phrase you select,  take the time to read and understand any important context around it, so as to make sure it's appropriate for your talk.

11. Take them through a "what if" scenario. 

A compelling way to start your presentation is with a "what if" scenario. For example, asking "What if you were debt-free?" at the start of a money management presentation might grab your listeners' attention as it asks them to look forward to a positive future and it can intensify their desire for your product or service. Exploring hook ideas that use a "what if" scenario may be fruitful as the "what if" concept is easily adaptable to almost any presentation.

12. Tell them a story. 

The most engaging and widespread examples of hooks, without a doubt, are stories. Nothing will compel listeners to lean in more than a well-told story.  Science  tells us that our brains are hardwired for storytelling. But the story needs to be brief, with just the right amount of detail to bring it to life. It must be authentic and have a "message," or lesson, to support your viewpoint. Above all, it must be kind. 

A version of this article was originally published on April 11, 2013. 

Photo: Getty Images

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Your presentation hook: the best way to grab your audience

To grab your audience at the start of a presentation you need a presentation hook. It’s called a hook because it should be short and sharp! And to take the analogy a step further, it should also be the right hook for your audience.

5 presentation hooks to get you started

A short story.

I work in IT, and I talk a lot with customers about cloud computing. Here’s my presentation hook:

It’s great to be here with you today. I thought of this presentation last night, when I was playing with my 5-year-old daughter. She was making a little ‘stop motion’ video on her iPad, and with all the pics she was taking she got a ‘storage full’ message. (It’s a pretty old iPad!). I was so sorry for her, because she’d been so excited about making the video. I tried to explain: “sorry my treasure, we’ll have to stop there”, but she just looked at me and said “daddy, can’t we put the pics on the cloud?”. That’s how prevalent cloud is today, even my 5-year-old is cloud savvy. And that’s why now is the right time for us to be talking about your cloud strategy”.

It’s quick, memorable, and it makes a connection to the subject of the presentation. I use it when I’m presenting to key decision-makers that are older (I don’t use it for the young professionals, it wouldn’t quite resonate with them in the same way).

Here’s a video of another opening story:

Build up your own portfolio of stories for the presentation topics that are relevant to your work!

Shock your audience

Here’s an example:

35% of the people who start a purchase through our website fail to complete the purchase. That’s lost revenue of approximately $450,000. I’m here today to talk about how we secure that revenue.

Relevant news

I read today that WordPress now hosts over 30% of the web, that’s up 5% in the past couple of years. I’m here today to talk to you about how we can benefit from the growth of WordPress.

We’re trying to fight a war against our competitors, but we’re using shot guns and they’ve got sniper rifles. We need to get much more precise and targeted with our marketing efforts if we’re going to win.

A relevant quotation

Bill Gates said: ‘Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning’. Well, I’m here today to tell you we have a lot of learning to do!

How do you know you’ve got a great presentation hook?

As you’re rummaging around for ideas, here’s a quick checklist to evaluate your presentation hooks.

Ideally, your hook is:

• Short and sharp : it’s shouldn’t take up too much time
• Distinctive : a fresh perspective so it’s easy to remember (and easy to remember you too!)
• Relevant to the audience : so that it resonates with their worldview and interests
• Connects to the subject matter : of course, this is a must!
• Builds your reputation : ideally the hook also builds your credibility too

More presentation hook ideas to explore

Here are more idea sources as you’re looking for hooks:

• Create a burning platform : “We have to act now, if we don’t, we’ll be out of business within the year”
• Ask, “what if…” : “What if we could double our profit margins. I’m here to tell you how we can”
• Make a promise : “I promise by then end of this presentation you’ll have a whole new perspective on…” (make sure you can deliver against the promise!)
• Use a movie clip : There are movie clips for every occasion, just use the guidance above to search for yours.
• Quote a proverb : Find a relevant proverb and use it as a ‘universal truth’ to introduce your presentation.
• “I believe…” : if you have a controversial perspective, sometimes its good to just put it out there, at will create interest in what you have to say.

Two presentation hooks to avoid: humor and questions

These two presentation hooks are often recommended, but in practice they’re dangerous territory.

Using humor at the start of a presentation has all kinds of risks. Your humor might fall flat, it might not resonate with specific individuals (potentially your ‘key decision makers’) and at worst you risk offending someone before you get started. Also, do you really want to build a reputation for being funny, at work? Your presentation is an opportunity to build your reputation. Humor is probably not the right way to go.

Questions are almost as bad. Ask a question that is too simple, and your audience will be thinking “Is this a trick? What’s going on?” and they won’t want to answer. Ask a question that is too challenging, and they won’t want to answer. And there’s often that awkward sense of “OK, so who’s going to answer this?”. Finally, if you have to answer your own question, it sets up entirely the wrong dynamic for discussion later. And if you’re thinking of asking a rhetorical question that doesn’t need an answer, then change it into a statement. It’s much more powerful to make a statement, then pause and hold the room.

Presentation hooks: in summary

Presentation hooks should be short, sharp and grab your audience.

Make sure they connect to your subject matter and build your reputation too.

Avoid opening your presentation with humor or questions, there are too many risks.

Develop a portfolio of hooks for the presentation topics that you cover most!

And once you’ve finished your presentation, here’s are some simple yet powerful techniques for confident Q&As !

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How to Start a Presentation: 12 Ways to Keep Your Audience Hooked

Written by: Nayomi Chibana

Wondering how to start a presentation that makes your audience sit up in their seats with excitement?

"Today, you will learn something that will add 10 years to your life."

"20 years from now, your job won't exist."

"Did you know that more people have access to a mobile phone than a toilet?"

Presentation starters like these are key to grabbing your audience's attention and making the most of the time allotted to you.

Instead of thanking the audience, making an unrelated joke or apologizing for a technical issue, why not dive right into the subject matter with a gripping statement or thought-provoking question?

To help you craft your own killer presentation starters, we've sorted through some of the most popular TED talks in history and created this list of the most effective ways to start your next presentation .

Many of these presentation starters are successful because they appeal to human emotions such as curiosity, awe, surprise or fear. You can read more on creating viral content that triggers emotional responses in this post .

Better yet, check out the video version of this blog post. This video distills 12 killer strategies to start your presentation and keep the audience's attention throughout.

• Knowing how to start a presentation is crucial because it sets the tone for the rest of the presentation. A strong and engaging opening can capture the audience's attention and generate interest in your presentation.
• There are many ways to start a presentation: make a provocative statement, incite curiosity; shock the audience; tell a story, be authentic;  quote a famous or influential person.
• Here are other presentation opening strategies: Begin with a captivating visual; ask a question; use silence; start with a prop; tell a relevant joke; use the word "imagine.
• Take advantage of Visme's free online presentation software to create attention-grabbing presentations that align with your branding and engage your audience.
• If you're short on time, tap into the power of Visme's AI presentation maker to create stunning presentations in minutes. Simply describe what you want to create, select your preferred design option and let the tool do the heavy lifting.

How to Start a Presentation

Knowing how to start a presentation is just as crucial as the message you're trying to convey. If you can't start it effectively, you might not be able to leave a strong enough impact by the end of it.

TED speakers are some of the best presenters in the world, and there's a lot you can learn from their talks. Below, we've handpicked some of these presentations that start with a bang and manage to keep the audience hooked till the very end.

1 Make a provocative statement.

"I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you're going to fail to have a great career."

One surefire way to get your audience's attention is to make a provocative statement that creates interest and a keen desire to know more about what you have to say.

The presentation above, for example, does just that by making a surprising first statement that inspires surprise, amusement, curiosity and fear at the same time.

With 4.8 million views and counting, this talk by an economics professor draws you in precisely because it steers clear of the traditional talk, using blunt humor to enumerate all the irrational excuses people make for not pursuing their dreams and passions.

2 Incite curiosity.

"I need to make a confession at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret, something that I'm not particularly proud of. Something that, in many ways, I wish no one would ever know, but here I feel kind of obliged to reveal."

Another way to grab your audience by the collar is to incite curiosity. In this popular TED talk viewed over 15.4 million times, career analyst Dan Pink succeeds at getting the entire audience to look at him intently, waiting for his next word, by resorting to an opening statement that builds suspense.

Since human beings are by nature curious creatures, most people in the audience were probably asking themselves "What did he do?" and imagining all sorts of possible scenarios.

3 Shock the audience.

"You will live seven and a half minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk."

In many ways related to the previous two presentation starters, this hook involves making a counter-intuitive or paradigm-shifting statement that goes against a popular belief or simply shocks due to the perceived impossibility of the proposed statement.

This introduction by game designer Jane McGonigal, for example, achieves a level of surprise by making a seemingly improbable assertion. After hearing this kind of statement, most people will want to listen to your entire talk, if not out of genuine interest, then at least for the sake of pacifying their incredulity.

(By the way, she makes good on her promise by revealing a game she designed to boost resilience, which is backed by scientific research.)

4 Tell a story.

"When I was seven years old and my sister was just five years old, we were playing on top of a bunk bed..."

As covered in a previous post , storytelling is the key ingredient that separates good, engaging presentations from bad ones that lack a clear message and persuasive delivery.

In his popular talk on the secret to being more productive, psychologist Shawn Achor tells a childhood story to lead into the effectiveness of positive psychology. He then goes on to provide concrete evidence backing his claim that pursuing happiness, rather than productivity for its own sake, actually makes you more--not less--productive.

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5  Be authentic.

"I'm going to tell you a little bit about my TEDxHouston Talk. I woke up the morning after I gave that talk with the worst vulnerability hangover of my life. And I actually didn't leave my house for about three days."

Another way to draw your audience into your own world is to tell a revealing personal story. This is certainly not easy but, when done right, can quickly spark interest in your topic and build an emotional connection between you and your audience.

In Brene Brown's talk on confronting shame, she begins by admitting that she felt embarrassed over the revelations she had made in her massively popular TED talk on embracing vulnerability.

6 Quote an influential person.

One of the easiest ways to start a presentation is to quote an influential person. In these cases, it's best to use a pithy, short and relevant quote to catch your audience's attention.

In the widely viewed video above, for example, writer Andrew Solomon quotes Emily Dickinson to begin his talk on depression, an illness he asserts affects many more people than the official figures suggest.

The quote is particularly powerful and effective because it eloquently describes the state of depression from the point of view of a person who is feeling all the emotions associated with it.

7 Begin with a captivating visual.

To introduce this fascinating TED talk on how movements really get started, entrepreneur Derek Sivers uses some surprising footage to support his statements. They are especially captivating because they debunk widely held beliefs on the matter, proving that it takes more than just a charismatic leader to start a revolution of any sort.

8 Ask a question.

"Do you think it's possible to control someone's attention? Even more than that, what about predicting human behavior?"

In this attention-grabbing presentation on the flaws in human perception, world-famous pickpocket Apollo Robbins starts off by asking the audience a question that leads right into the meat of his talk, which has been viewed worldwide more than 10.5 million times.

In these cases, it's best to pose a question that will really get your audience thinking and, in the best possible scenario, challenge their prevailing beliefs or preconceptions on a certain topic.

51 Best Presentation Slides for Engaging Presentations (2024)

9 Use silence.

Another effective technique--which should only be used if you're a seasoned presenter and are able to maintain your composure throughout--is to leverage silence to command a room.

Watch, for example, how musician Amanda Palmer starts off her talk by not saying a word, simply breathing in and out and using props to communicate her message.

Although you may not want to resort to both silence and using a prop in your presentation, this is a very effective dramatic technique that, if done right, quickly draws all eyes to you.

10 Start with a prop.

Considering that the audience's gaze is attracted by motion and visual objects, another way to hook them right from the outset is to use a prop.

Take a look at how best-selling author Susan Cain uses a physical object to visually complement her opening story on her first summer camp experience. It not only adds a dramatic effect, it also keeps viewers eyes on her while on stage.

11 Tell a relevant joke.

"Okay, now I don't want to alarm anybody in this room, but it's just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar."

Humor is not only a good way to break the ice and endear the audience to you right from the outset, it can also be very effective in getting your point across if it's relevant to your talk.

Lie detector Pamela Meyer, for example, deftly uses both humor and an element of surprise in her opening statement as she tells the audience that the person to their right is probably a liar. This gets the audience to laugh and then focus on her topic at the same time.

She goes on to give some shocking statistics (such as that on any given day, we're lied to up to 200 times) and delivers an intriguing talk that has been seen close to 13 million times.

12 Use the word "imagine."

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

Lastly, there are times when leading your audience to use their imaginations is the best bet. You can prompt them to do this by using the commands "imagine," "think of" or "picture this." These are just a few of the most powerful opening words for presentation.

Plane crash survivor Ric Elias, for example, uses this technique in the video above to quickly thrust his audience into the central scene of his harrowing story.

Learn How to Start a Presentation Effectively

What about your next presentation? Have you thought about how you're going to set the mood for your talk? We've rounded up some of the best way to start a presentation.

When you're ready to get started creating your presentation, give Visme's presentation software a try! The tool comes with an AI writer that helps you generate killer content for your next presentation in seconds.

Plus, check out our post on how to end a presentation so you both start and end your speech with a bang.

And if you want to learn all our secrets on how to deliver an unforgettable presentation, as well as how to create visual slides with impact, grab our free e-book below.

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About the Author

Nayomi Chibana is a journalist and writer for Visme’s Visual Learning Center. Besides researching trends in visual communication and next-generation storytelling, she’s passionate about data-driven content.

15 Killer Hooks to Captivate and Engage Your Audience

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Do you want to make sure that your readers are completely hooked on your content and keep coming back for more? Are you looking for new ways to captivate and engage them so they’ll stick around till the very end of your post? 

If so, then you need killer hooks – those techniques that grab attention, capture interest and compel readers to take action. 

From personal anecdotes and storytelling to humor, surprise elements, questions and promises – this article will provide 15 clever hooks guaranteed to draw in even the most distracted reader. 

Read on if you’re ready to start crafting posts that have maximum impact!

What is a hook message to grab the reader's attention?

The hook message in an article or piece of content is the attention-grabbing statement or opening sentence that captures the reader’s interest and encourages them to read further. A compelling and effective hook message not only attracts attention but also keeps the reader engaged and interested in what follows.

According to studies, the average attention span of a person is only 8 seconds, which makes the hook message all the more important. And given the overwhelming amount of content available online, a well-crafted hook can make all the difference between a reader continuing to read or scrolling past.

There are several types of hooks that can be used, such as posing a question, using a startling statistic, or telling a story. However, the most effective hooks are typically those that tap into the reader’s emotions or curiosity.

One example of an emotional hook could be starting an article with a relatable personal story. This immediately sets the tone for the article and creates an emotional connection between the reader and the writer. Another type of hook that is effective is using a surprising or unexpected fact that challenges common assumptions.

Regardless of the type of hook used, the goal remains the same – to captivate the reader’s attention and encourage them to read on. So, whether you’re writing a blog post, article, or marketing copy, taking the time to craft an attention-grabbing hook can make all the difference in capturing your audience’s interest and keeping them engaged.

15 killer hooks to engage your audience

✅ shocking statistics.

Use a statistic that will get your audience thinking and wanting to know more.

✅ Interesting Quotes

Quotes can be powerful intros that give your audience a new perspective on your topic.

✅ Personal Anecdotes

Personal anecdotes are an effective way to humanize your message and connect with your audience.

✅ Surprising Facts

Surprising facts are great hooks that will leave your audience intrigued and wanting to know more.

✅ Contrasting Ideas

Contrasting two different ideas can be an effective way to draw your audience in and spark interest.

✅ Bold Statements

Bold statements can challenge your audience’s thinking and get them engaged in your message.

✅ Humorous Anecdotes

Humor is a great way to break the ice and ease the tension in your presentation.

✅ An Alluring Question

Asking an intriguing question can make your audience curious and keep them engaged.

✅ Powerful Images

Powerful images can captivate your audience and give your message an emotional impact.

✅ Unique Analogies

Analogies can be an excellent way to help your audience better understand complex concepts.

✅ Startling Comparisons

Comparing two different things can be a great way to highlight the importance of your message.

✅ Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories can be a fun way to engage your audience and get them thinking critically.

✅ Controversial Ideas

Controversial ideas can be used to stimulate discussion and engage in healthy debate.

✅ Shocking News Stories

Using shocking news stories can be an effective way to get your audience’s attention and keep them engaged in your message.

✅ Emotional Appeals

Emotional appeals can be used to connect with your audience on a personal level and inspire them to take action.

Most famous hooks in history

“Four score and seven years ago…”  – This is the opening line of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, instantly capturing the attention of the audience with its memorable and poetic beginning.

“I have a dream…”  – Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic speech begins with this powerful and aspirational statement, immediately drawing the audience in with its hopeful and inspiring tone.

“In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit…”  – J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel “The Hobbit” starts with this intriguing line, sparking curiosity and inviting readers into a fantastical world.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”  – Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” begins with this contrasting statement, setting the stage for a story filled with drama and tension.

“Once upon a time…”  – This classic opening line is often used in fairy tales and folklore, instantly signaling to the audience that they are about to embark on a magical and enchanting journey.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”  – Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” starts with this witty and satirical sentence, immediately capturing the attention with its ironic tone and social commentary.

“Call me Ishmael.”  – The opening line of Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” is simple yet intriguing, drawing the reader into the narrative by introducing a mysterious character.

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”  – George Orwell’s “1984” begins with this unsettling and unusual line, immediately creating a sense of intrigue and setting the tone for a dystopian tale.

“In a galaxy far, far away…”  – The opening crawl of the “Star Wars” films grabs the audience’s attention by transporting them into a vast and epic science fiction universe.

“To be or not to be…”  – Shakespeare’s famous soliloquy from “Hamlet” starts with this existential question, instantly captivating the audience with its introspective and philosophical nature.

Most famous hooks in marketing to engage the audience

“Just do it.”  – Nike’s iconic slogan is a short and powerful hook that inspires action and motivation, appealing to the audience’s desire for achievement and self-improvement.

“Think different.”  – Apple’s memorable tagline challenges the status quo and appeals to individuals who want to stand out and embrace innovation.

“Got milk?”  – This simple yet catchy slogan from the California Milk Processor Board prompts the audience to consider the importance of milk consumption, making it memorable and thought-provoking.

“Finger-lickin’ good.”  – KFC’s slogan evokes sensory appeal and mouthwatering sensations, creating a strong connection between the audience and the product.

“Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”   – M&M’s clever tagline emphasizes the product’s quality and convenience, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

“Because you’re worth it.”  – L’Oréal’s slogan speaks to the audience’s desire for self-care and self-worth, positioning their products as a way to indulge and pamper oneself.

“The breakfast of champions.”   – Wheaties’ tagline positions their cereal as fuel for success and accomplishment, appealing to athletes and those striving for greatness.

“I’m lovin’ it.”  – McDonald’s popular jingle encapsulates the joy and satisfaction associated with their fast-food experience, creating an emotional connection with the audience.

“The happiest place on Earth.”  – Disneyland’s slogan taps into the audience’s longing for happiness and magical experiences, creating a desire to visit the theme park.

“Red Bull gives you wings.”  – Red Bull’s tagline implies that their energy drink provides an instant boost and a feeling of empowerment, appealing to individuals seeking energy and vitality.

These hooks have become iconic in marketing because they effectively capture the attention and resonate with the desires, emotions, and aspirations of the target audience.

Crafting the perfect hook can elevate your content and create a lasting impression with readers. Many of these hooks allude to a story, so focusing on how the hook will capture the audience’s imagination is key. 

If you want to leverage your story-telling skills and captivate your reader from beginning to end, a great hook is essential. With guidance and practice, it can be easy to craft an eye-catching hook for any type of content that you produce. 

Remember to focus on who you are writing for and weaving in interesting tidbits along the way. Hooks don’t have to be complex or long; they just need to evoke curiosity so readers continue exploring your content, making it enjoyable and easy to read! 

So go ahead — get creative with your 15 killer hooks! Who knows — maybe one will be the spark that captures countless readers’ attention.

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How to Hook Your Audience with a Great Opener

Want to grab listeners' attention and engagement immediately? Here's how to hook your audience with a great opener!

"I speak to you for the first time as Prime Minister in a solemn hour for the life of our country, of our empire, of our allies, and, above all, of the cause of Freedom."

That's Winston Churchill, in his first broadcast speech as Prime Minister on May 19, 1940. Most of us don't have a topic as momentous as the "tremendous battle raging in France and Flanders" [i] to speak about—or a talent as great as Churchill's. But we have just as much need to hook our audiences at the start of our speeches and presentations.

Do you know the best practices for high-impact speaking? Discover how to motivate, inspire, and activate people! Get my Free Guide , "Six Rules of Effective Public Speaking."

So how are you doing in this department? It's not going too far to say that the success of your talk depends upon your getting listeners to get engaged and stay that way . That's what a speech "hook" or "grabber" is designed to do. 

What Is a Speech Hook and How Does It Work?

A hook or grabber is the part of your presentation that compels an audience to sit up and pay attention. It should come at the beginning of your talk, where it can do the most good. Audiences have a lot on their minds as they prepare to listen to your remarks. They might in fact be attending a number of presentations that week. So you need to let them know right away that you're the speaker who is going to be interesting .

Once engaged, listeners will stay with you. That is, as long as the body of your speech doesn't fail to live up to expectations. But it's that hook that gets everything started.

Doesn't that sound like a formula for speaking success? To get there, see my 12 foolproof ways to grab an audience . It's all about knowing how to start a speech.

An Effective vs. Ineffective Opening

To grasp the difference between an opening that hooks and one that lets your listeners slip away, consider the following two speech openings. They're both from TED talks, and both are delivered by scientists. Which one grabs your attention?

(A) "We're going to go on a dive to the deep sea." [ii]

(B) "I study ants . . . in the desert, in the tropical forest, in my kitchen, and in the hills around Silicon Valley, where I live." [iii]

I'll bet it's the first one. Who wouldn't want to go on a virtual dive with oceanographer David Gallo to explore the ocean depths (choice A)? It's nice that biologist Deborah Gordon studies ants (choice B). But it doesn't sound compelling.

In fact her topic—the link between ants, the human brain, and cancer—is fascinating. But her opening keeps her speech firmly tied to the earth. Like every speech, however, it needs to get airborne right off the launch pad.

You Can Be Creative, Can't You?

So how can you make that happen in your own speeches and presentations? Here are what I believe are the four key elements of a successful speech hook, along with speech introduction examples. Keep in mind, they should occur as early in your speech as possible, so you tap into the critical first 60 seconds of a speech . What then does a good speech hook do?

(1) It resonates with the audience.

If your topic happens to be of general interest to everyone, this requirement should be easy. Sir Ken Robinson ,  for instance, pulls it off in just  nine seconds  in his TED talk, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" Here's his opening, referring to the previous speakers at the event: "It's been great, hasn't it? I've been blown away by the whole thing. In fact . . . I'm leaving." [iv] Humor done well is always a winner. Equally successful is an opening that has special relevance to listeners (rather than being a topic that anyone can relate to). If you know your industry and your audience, you should be able to come up with a hook that absolutely resonates in this way.

(2) It surprises them.

Have you ever sighed resignedly because a speaker began, "My topic today is . . . " How differently we react when he or she approaches us from an unexpected direction! That speaker may elicit delight rather than heavy eyelids. Here is someone who does that: Gavin Pretor-Pinney in his TED Talk. He starts out: "Clouds ... have you ever noticed how much people moan about them?" [v] If I mention the talk is titled "Cloudy with a Chance of Joy," you'll understand his surprising yet logical choice of an opening.

(3) It's concise.

You want impact. You may tell a great story , but its effect will evaporate if it goes on too long. Always consider the total time you have and craft an opening that helps balance the talk as a whole. Mark Twain once began a speech following a toast to the New England weather by saying, "I reverently believe that the Maker who made us all makes everything in New England but the weather." [vi] (I bet that opening surprised his listeners, too.)

(4) It taps into something larger than your topic.

Remember, your topic is only your doorway to a place where you help change the world of your listeners. No speaker understood this better than President John F. Kennedy in 1961, when he said in the opening of his inaugural speech: "We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom." [vii]  

And here's the unmatched simplicity and understatement (and mischief) of Sojourner Truth's opening in her 1851 speech on women's rights, "Ain't I a Woman," which reflects on that issue as well as the other great one of the day: slavery.

"Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter." [viii]

Resonant, surprising, concise, and connected with a much larger issue. Take away that lesson to help change your own world—one speech, and one speech hook, at a time.

This article was originally published in 2016. It is updated here. 

You should follow me on Twitter   here .  

[i] http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/speeches/speeches-of-winston-churchill/91-be-ye-men-of-valour

[ii] http://www.ted.com/talks/david_gallo_shows_underwater_astonishments 

[iii] http://www.ted.com/talks/deborah_gordon_what_ants_teach_us_about_the_brain_cancer_and_the_internet#t-11094

  [iv] http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity#t-12634 

[v] http://www.ted.com/talks/gavin_pretor_pinney_cloudy_with_a_chance_of_joy 

[vi] http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3188/3188-h/3188-h.htm#link2H_4_0012 

[vii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEC1C4p0k3E 

[viii] http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sojtruth-woman.asp

Tags: speeches , how to open a presentation , how to begin a presentation , how to start a speech , speech format , how to open a speech , how to organize a presentation , speech hook , how to organize a speech , how to start a presentation , speech hooks , speech grabbers , how to begin a speech , speech introduction examples

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Presentation Hooks: the 13 most successful presentation hook examples

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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 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.

Table of Contents

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 ?

Source: did-you-knows.com or factmontster.com/scary-facts-that-will-creep-you-out .

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
• Hollywood’s 100 Favorite 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. There are even websites that organize jokes by category: AjokeAday.

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pMx2P4CKx0

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 […].

Check the first 2 minutes of the following video.

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. https://business.financialpost.com

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.

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.

The 13 most successful hook ideas ever 

Argumentative hook ideas

Maurizio La Cava

About Maurizio

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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6 Hooks to Start Your Presentation

When it comes to a presentation, the first few minutes are crucial. This is when it’s critical to capture an audience's attention and hold it until the end. For presenters, a constructive, captivating hook that stimulates the audience is vital in order to hold attention throughout the presentation, and an effective design created by a PowerPoint presentation designer can further interest the audience.

Your presentation should flow smoothly from slide to slide to deliver the greatest impact, bringing together both the visual elements and your prepared remarks. A professional PowerPoint presentation designer can significantly improve the quality of your overall demonstration by incorporating visual rhetoric and persuasive design features that drive your message home. 

Your hook not only provides an opportunity to draw the audience’s attention but creates the first impression, setting the tone for the rest of your message. If you want your audience to be moved to action by your words, your hook is the first step to giving a memorable, meaningful presentation. 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss six hooks you can use to start your presentation and engage your audience!

The Importance of a Good Hook For a Presentation

As we know, first impressions are long lasting. Your audience will make assumptions about your presentation and your character within the first few seconds . 

As the presenter, your focus should be on providing concise and intriguing information for the presentation, utilizing a creative hook. Then a graphic or PowerPoint presentation designer can more easily find a way to cohesively connect the visuals with the information and hook provided.

Contradict Expectations

One way to engage your audience is to contradict their expectations. This can be done by starting with a statement that goes against what they’re expecting to hear. For example, if you are giving a presentation on the benefits of exercise, you could start by saying "Exercise is not good for your health." This will immediately pique your audience's interest and make them want to know more.

Make a Surprising Claim

Another way to engage your audience is to make a claim that is unexpected or surprising. You could bring up a surprising statistic about your topic that might hit home with your audience. This will grab their attention and make them want to know more about what you have to say. Be careful not to allow your claim to distract from your overall message, however.

Stimulate Curiosity

You can also engage your audience by stimulating their curiosity. Asking a question or making a statement that leaves them wanting to know more is a good way to accomplish this. If you’re able to make them think deeply about the topic and cause them to ask questions, they’ll be more attentive to your presentation.

Tell a Story

Telling a story will often draw your audience’s attention to the presentation. Stories are a powerful tool that can help you connect with your audience and make them want to hear more. When choosing a story to share, make sure it’s relevant to your topic and will resonate with your audience. 

For example, if you’re giving a presentation on the benefits of positive thinking, you could tell a story about how it helped you overcome a difficult situation in your life.

Ask a Question

Asking a thought-provoking question is another great way to engage your audience. This will encourage them to think about your topic and consider what you have to say. It’s also an easy way to encourage your audience into active participation with your presentation. 

State the Problem in Clear Terms

If you want to engage your audience, it’s important to state the problem in clear terms. This will help them understand the significance of your topic and make them want to hear more about what you have to say. 

For example, if you’re giving a presentation on the benefits of meditation, you could start by saying "Meditation can help you reduce stress." This would clearly state the problem (stress) and explain how meditation can help solve it.

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Presentations: 6 Ways to Hook Your Audience

by Robert Hellmann • Building a Business , On-the-job Success , Presentations

When you are giving a presentation, look to actively engage your audience right from the start. Don’t assume they are paying attention; they may be thinking about their last meeting or the next one! So go beyond the dry and conventional; Capture their imagination, make them part of the show. Use any of these six approaches to hook your audience, so you can then reel them in with a memorable, powerful presentation.

1.  Surprise the Audience We started one client’s presentation (to an executive audience at a global Fortune 500 company) with a slide that had a single large number on it: $3,000,000. The presenter began, “$3 million dollars, that’s right, $3 million dollars. That’s how much we lose every year because new hires are under-utilized. But we can cut this number in half with a one-time $25,000 on-boarding investment.”  My client reported back to me that the audience was surprised all around by both the magnitude of the cost and the inexpensive fix. In short, they were paying rapt attention right from beginning — they wanted to know more, and my client had them “hooked.”

Often surprise can take a different form, like sharing a counter-intuitive or unexpected piece of information. For example, you might say something like “Ask any executive, and they will tell you that the key to success is first x, then y.  But you may be surprised, as I was, to learn that the exact opposite is true.”

2.  Ask the Audience a Question Any interesting, intelligent question posed to the audience at the start of your presentation can help to hook the audience, since you are soliciting their active participation. 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 off by asking the audience “What do you say when an interviewer asks about your current salary?” Asking this question engages them and raises an issue of great interest to them!

Here is another example: A client was pitching his company’s information services to a prospective corporate buyer. We created an opening slide that showed the logos of several well-known Fortune 500 companies and asked, “what do these companies all have in common?” When he presented this slide, no one got the right answer, which was “They all use our services.” My client not only engaged them by asking this question, but made an important point about his service’s perceived value.  He ultimately got the sale (although this “hook” was only one part of a much larger effort).

3. Combine a Question with Surprise Combining both of the above techniques is even more powerful. For example, sometimes in my Presentation Skills training workshops I’ll start off by asking the audience “Which of these five items is essential for a great presentation?”  I’ll list things like eye contact, where you stand in the room, and so forth. No one ever gets the correct answer, which is “none of the above.” And since people are surprised by the answer, they are immediately intrigued (as I’ve been told by audience members) and want to know more.

4. Use a Metaphor Starting off a presentation using a metaphor is like sharing a mini- story. You capture their imagination with the image in the metaphor, and make your point more memorable. For example, a client was putting together her pitch as part of a sales presentation for her company’s “workflow management” software. Here is how she started her winning pitch: “A client once said to me ‘our workflow management process was like the chaos of Manhattan streets during rush hour, until your software transformed it into a wide open superhighway.’ In fact, we’ve helped many clients in your industry create their own workflow superhighways…”

5. Tell a Story An engaging story can work wonders in any part of your presentation, and a short, bite-sized story at the start is no exception. As with the metaphor example, people will remember the image in the story, and will be more likely to remember the point you are making as well.

For example, with one client, an Information Technology executive who was presenting the case for investing in a new system architecture, we started out his presentation with: “One morning last week, I saw someone trip on a broken piece of sidewalk near our building and fall! I ran over to help them; luckily, their palms saved the day– they were fine. As I think back to them dusting themselves off and lamenting the crumbling infrastructure, I am reminded of the urgency with which we need to address not only our physical space, but our I.T. infrastructure problem first, before rolling out a new product…”

6. State the Problem in Stark Terms You can grab an audience’s attention by simply stating the problem clearly and right up front. I learned this early in my career from a former manager. She would start her presentations by presenting the dilemma in stark terms. For example, she might say something like “Competitor X is targeting our customers with product Y. We are beginning to lose market share and we have nothing in response.” She didn’t start off with the background, the research, the lengthy introduction. She simply got right to the point, with a problem or situation stated in dramatic terms that resonated with the audience.  Her approach was always an attention-grabber.

I share many more insights on how to deliver great presentations in my free RESULTS Matter: Make Your Presentations Great! webinar.

EMAIL: [email protected]

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Rule the Room is here to help improve your presentation skills. Jason Teteak's custom training courses are perfect to improve your public speaking skills today!

Captivate: Create Money-Making Presentations

Discover the golden recipe to hook your audience, get them to crave everything you have to say and even thank you for it afterwards., learn the proven techniques to:.

• Get your audience to crave everything you have to say
• Immediately captivate your audience and hold their attention
• Target your audience’s pain points and hot buttons

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• 1.5+ hours of on-demand video
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What You’re About To Discover…

• How to find out EXACTLY what your audience wants to know BEFORE you start presenting…
• The secret to creating “Deliverables” that audiences CRAVE…
• The three crucial ingredients that determine the “Hot Buttons” of your audience…
• The top 3 ways to develop “Catch Phrases” that will easily command attention from your audience…
• The renowned “Hook Recipe” for developing a hook that will make your audience CRAVE your presentation as soon as you deliver it…
• How to find out exactly what your audience wants to know BEFORE you start presenting…
• A set of techniques to keep your audience captivated for your entire presentation…
• A system of checks and balances to ensure you have accurately determined what your audience wants…
• And much, much more…

Course Breakdown

• Module One:  Introduction: Welcome to the Course
• Go behind the scenes and discover the secrets to immediately captivate any audience with a hook they cannot resist. Once you learn this process, you will never look at a presentation the same way again. As a presenter, the most important skill you will ever learn is how to immediately captivate your audience and hold their attention indefinitely. In this 90 minute program, you will learn how to create a presentation using a unique recipe designed to target your audiences’ pain points and hot buttons.
• Module Two:  Find Out What Your Audience Want to Know
• Identify current topics, interview potential audience members and create a “Top 10” list. To engage your audience members, the theme of your presentation must appear to have value to them and be in line with their goals. It is essential you know what specific topics will be of interest. The best way is to ask them. You’re about to learn how.
• Module Three:  Create Deliverables That Audiences Crave
• ​Narrow down your list to the top 6 things people want and then create your deliverables. When I made an analysis of the very best presentations in the world, I noticed a striking similarity among them. Every single one promised to give the audience very specific, practical advice. When you begin to investigate what your audience members want to know, you are beginning the process of creating presentation magic.
• Module Four:  Create Hooks That Captivate Immediately
• Label the audience fulfillment, label the “Why’s?” and use confident language. Telling them what you’ll give them isn’t nearly as important as making sure they know why they would find it valuable. Oddly, when I ask, “Why would your audience want the takeaways that you’re offering them?” most presenters don’t have a ready answer. What makes the Rule the Room method unique is that it will help you analyze the emotional needs of your audience and be able to convey to your audience exactly why they would want to hear what you’re about to give them.
• Module Five:  Create an Opener that Wows Your Audience
• Find a common theme for why each of the deliverables are important to your audience, and write that theme out in a single sentence. When presenters can’t tell me why an audience would want what they are going to present, I ask them this: “How will each of your deliverables relieve the pain points and enhance the pleasure points of your listeners?” But it’s my next question that is the aha! moment for most presenters: “How will each deliverables offer them happiness, success and/or freedom?” Having defined their pain points and pleasure points, you can easily determine why the deliverables will benefit them.
• Module Six:  Deliver the Opener with Credibility
• Introduce yourself and the presentation with your name and the presentation hook. Then, make sure to deliver on the deliverables. The whats—the takeaways—offer practical advice that appeals to people’s conscious needs. The whys meet their subconscious needs. They eliminate or minimize anything that is causing anxiety, frustration, disappointment, or conflict, and they enhance whatever brings them pleasure. State the main hook at the very beginning of the presentation, right after you say the title, to remind your audience members what they’ll get, reassure them that they’ll get it, and make sure they’ll stay in their seats until the end of the presentation, to get it all. Your presentation will be irresistible.
• Module Seven:  Keep Them Captivated Every Topic
• Reiterate the opening hook, reiterate the topic deliverables and present the topic hook. Years ago, I asked a client what he considered the biggest challenge in his speaking. He said, “I’m always worried I might be droning on while my audience is drifting away.” I’ve since discovered that many presenters share this concern. You can still deliver an amazing presentation if you recognize the signs you need to do this and that you react—the sooner, the better.

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8 Effective Hooks to Start Your Speech

Table of Contents

Speeches can be challenging to communicate complicated or nuanced information, which is why the opening sentence matters so much. Hooks for speeches have the power to pull the listener in and keep them involved.

They will grab your audience’s attention, get them engaged and interested in what you say, and gradually help set the tone for your speech.

In this article, you’ll find eight effective ways to hook your audience and start a strong presentation.

What Is a Hook in Speech?

A hook is a tool to show your audience where you are going in your speech. They are used in two different ways. Firstly, they are used as a transition between ideas. Secondly, Hooks are used to keep the audience involved and engaged .

Using a hook can help keep your audience focused and give them something to hold on to while you get your point across. A good hook grabs the audience’s attention and gets them interested in what you’re saying.

8 Effective Hooks for Speeches

One way to start your speech is to hook your audience with a powerful way of describing the topic you are speaking on. Hooks can be as simple as descriptions, metaphors, or quotations. Here are eight hooks for speeches to make a lasting impression on the audience.

1. Take a Contrarian Stance

One way to start your speech with a powerful hook is to use a contrarian approach. This means that you take another stance on the issue and discuss it orally, thereby raising doubts in your audience.

One way to create a contrarian approach is to argue against an opinion or belief. A contrarian attitude can create easily recognizable hooks for a speech and succeed in catching the audience’s attention.

2. Ask Several Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions are powerful because they pull at people’s heartstrings. They make statements and ask the listener to agree. Used wisely, they can lead the audience into an argument.

The goal of the question is to ask the listener to think and make a judgment on his own.

3. Use a Powerful Sound Bite

A sound bite is a brief statement that captures the attention of your audience and promises a thought-provoking result. It makes it easier to remember the specifics of what you are talking about.

For example, “Did you know that in 2016 each enterprise had a choice? The choice to go from silos and silences to voice and insight”?

4. Provide a Reference to a Historical Event

Mentioning a historical event is a good attention-getter for speeches. Sometimes you can use the day you present as an opening gambit to tie the topic of your presentation to some historical significance.

Whenever you reference historical events, the audience instantly associates them with their own experience. This leads to a higher level of interest.

5. Employ a Startling Assertion

Making a startling assertion is a quick and effective strategy to get attention. If you’re having trouble coming up with a hook, employ a striking fact. Spend some time researching shocking data that show how serious the topic you’re going to discuss is.

For example, “You might not know, but your brain has less than three seconds to react when you see a bear in the wild.” This is startling as people believe they have enough time to think about what will happen before a bear attack.

6. Take Them Through Imagine or What If Scenario

This is a great hook to start a persuasive speech or one that discusses possible scenarios. It’s an ideal hook for a premise based on hypothetical situations and the effects of potential changes.

Ask the audience something that might change their viewpoint, like what if you could go invisible for a day or go back in time? You can also use the word ‘Imagine’ to draw a mental image and engage the mind.

7. Use Quotations With Your Twist

The usage of quotations is a common strategy for hooks. Although many speakers begin with an appropriate quotation, you might stand out by reciting the quote and putting a twist. You might also use a quote from your personal experience.

8. Tell the Audience a Story

Starting a speech with a story is a great way to engage your audience. For example, “Remember the first time you had a conversation with a child, someone who hadn’t even been born yet? ”

Each of your listeners would probably remember this conversation vividly because they were a part of it. When starting a speech with a story, use an analogy or an experience to heighten the experience.

Make it relatable and better engage your audience.

Hooks are the rhetorical devices that help you to pull your audience in . There are many different hooks for speeches, and each one is effective in its way.

They help to create a dynamic and colorful tone that keeps the audience engaged. Remember that the audience will only give you about 30 seconds before deciding whether or not to continue listening.

Employ one of the eight effective hooks mentioned in this post to make your speech memorable for the audience.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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60 Effective PowerPoint Presentation Tips & Tricks (Giant List)

Here's a PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks guide that takes you through how to make a good PowerPoint presentation.

The best PowerPoint presentations shouldn’t be remembered. Instead, they should fall into the background to support you and the message you’re trying to get across.

Unlike good PowerPoint presentations , bad PowerPoint presentations are a distraction. You may remember them, but not in a good way.

You’ve seen them before. They might have millions of lines of text. Or a disjointed flow to the slides. Even worse, some slides feature ugly photos and poor design that detract from the message you’re trying to get across. That can even hurt your credibility as a professional or speaker.

This article will take you from finding your initial topic to learning how to make a great PowerPoint presentation. Our guide covers everything in between so that you learn how to present a PowerPoint like a pro.

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines are organized into sections. So cut straight to the advice you need and come back when you’re ready for the next steps.

Guide to Making Great Presentations (Free eBook Download)

Also, download our Free eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It’s the deepest resource for learning effective presentation skills for a PPT.

This eBook covers the complete presentation process. It takes the PowerPoint tips and tricks you learn in this article further. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully. It’s another great source for presentation design tips.

Master PowerPoint (Free Course): 15 Essential Tips

This article is full of helpful tips so you can build a powerful presentation. You can also find more PowerPoint tips in this video lesson:

To learn even more about how to make a PowerPoint look good, review the huge list of tips below.

What Makes a PowerPoint Presentation Effective?

Knowing how to use PowerPoint and work within it quickly is helpful. But more important is making a good presentation that hits all your goals. A great PowerPoint presentation is:

• Prepared to Win . Research, plan, and prepare your presentation professionally. It helps you deliver an effective message to your target audience.
• Designed Correctly . Your visual points should stand out without overwhelming your audience. A good PowerPoint visual shouldn’t complicate your message.
• Practiced to Perfection . Rehearse your timing and delivery so that your points land as practiced with a live audience.
• Delivered With Poise . Present with a relaxed inner calm and confident outward projection. Give your audience warmth, excitement, and energy.
• Free From Mistakes . Avoid typos, cheesy clip art, and mistakes like reading directly from your slides.

Consider this your all-inclusive guide to how to make a good presentation. We’ll look at preparing your presentation and explore how to design it in PowerPoint. Plus, we’ll cover how to practice and nail your delivery successfully come presentation time.

We’ll also address what not to do in these tips for PowerPoint presentations—so you can sidestep any big mistakes. Now let’s dig into these tips for effective PowerPoint presentations.

Killer Presentation Preparation Tips to Get Started Right

Before even opening PowerPoint, start by addressing these things. These Microsoft PowerPoint tips and tricks will ensure that you’re prepared for your presentation:

1. Know Your Stuff

Your presentation isn’t about your slides alone. It’s about the message you want to get across. Before filling in stats, facts and figures, think about the narrative that’ll be discussed, why, and in what order.

2. Write It Out

Start in a Word or Google doc, and storyboard or script the entire presentation. This will give you an idea of how the information presented will flow and how viewers will see it in sequence. Learn the complete writing process .

3. Highlight What’s Most Important

A presentation covers the most crucial pieces only. Whatever you’ve been working on that led to this—a paper, a work project, a new product design—doesn’t need to be shared in its entirety. Pick key points and put the rest in an “Appendix” to refer to during the Q&A session at the end.

4. Know Your Audience

How you talk to a room full of medical professionals should be different from the way you address a room full of young entrepreneurs. Everything, in fact, is different: your topic selection, the language you use, the examples you give to illustrate points. The little bits of humor you include should be tailored specifically with your target audience in mind.

Understand your audience’s needs to create a successful PowerPoint presentation. Customize your content to meet their specific requirements.

5. Rehearse! (Yes, Already)

It’s never too early to get used to the rhythm of your presentation and take note of points you want to emphasize. While saying it out loud, you’ll start to develop a “feel” for the material. You’ll notice that some things work well, while others don’t and might need to be worked around.

6. Rewrite After You Rehearse

As you’re rehearsing your presentation, you’re bound to stumble over sections that don’t quite flow naturally. Instead of reworking your delivery, it might be time to consider the content and rewrite the areas that served as stumbling blocks.

“Editing is hard. ‘It’s good enough,’ is a phrase wannabes use. Leaders take editing seriously.” – Anthony Trendl

The most important part of creating a great presentation is the writing stage. The second most important stage is rewriting.

7. Share With a Friend

If the stakes are high for your presentation, it’s never too early to get feedback from those that you trust. Here’s an article that helps you collaborate as a team on a PowerPoint presentation. Get PowerPoint design tips from those that you trust when you collaborate.

Simple Tips to Design Your PowerPoint Presentation Better

Second only to you (the information you bring and how you present it) is your PowerPoint slides. If not designed well, a PowerPoint can be disengaging or distracting (regardless of the content quality). Here are some presentation design tips to make sure this doesn’t happen to you:

8. Keep Your Slides Simple

This is one of the most important PowerPoint presentation tips to follow when designing your slides. Keep in mind that less is more (effective.) A cluttered slide is distracting. It causes confusion for an audience: Which part of the slide should I focus on? Should I read the slide or pay attention to the presenter?

A simple, visually appealing slide will engage your audience, keeping them on track with your main points. Here’s an example of a simple slide that serves its purpose perfectly:

Minimalist slide templates like Nook can help you resist the urge to clutter your slides.

9. Limit Words on Your Slides

Piggybacking on the last point, less is more effective. If possible, avoid bullets altogether. Otherwise cut them to just a few simple words. The audience should be listening, not reading.

10. Use High-Quality Photos and Graphics

One of the most important tips for quality PowerPoint presentations is to use high-quality photos and graphics.

Earlier in this tutorial, you saw Envato Elements, an all-you-can-download service with PPT tips inside of templates. Those pre-built designs are a beginner’s best friend. They’re even better when paired with Elements’ unlimited library of stock photos .

People are more likely to take you seriously if your presentation is visually appealing. Users view attractive design as more usable. Similarly, they’ll view a more attractive PowerPoint as more effective.

11. Use Accurate and Relevant Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs can also be distracting if they’re not used right. Make sure your information design is simple and clean so that the audience doesn’t spend the entire time trying to decipher what your X axis says. Learn more about PPT data presentation .

12. Use High-Quality, Fresh Templates

Have you seen the old PowerPoint template that looks like worn paper and uses ink splashes? Yeah, so has your audience. Templates can be distracting if they’re too basic or if the design feels dated. You need one with great design options.

Costs are always a concern. But when you use Envato Elements, you’ve got everything you need to create a great PowerPoint presentation . That’s thanks to the incredible all-you-can-download subscription package.

The best PowerPoint tips and tricks can hardly compare to the value of using a template while building your presentation.

On Envato Elements, there are thousands of PowerPoint design templates that are ready to use. Instead of designing a presentation from scratch, start with a template! Just add your specifics to the placeholders.

Templates like Galaxi are impressively designed and waiting for your slide specifics.

The best PowerPoint design tips save you time. And there’s no tip more powerful than this one: use a pre-built template . It helps you master how to present a PowerPoint without spending all your time in the app.

13. Choose Appropriate Fonts

Fonts are an important part of engaging your audience. Fonts and typography choices have a subconscious effect on viewers. They can characterize your company’s presentation and brand either positively or negatively. Make sure that you’re choosing fonts that are professional and modern.

14. Choose Color Well

Like font choice, colors cause specific subconscious reactions from viewers. Choosing an outdated color combination for your presentation will render it ineffective.

Below is an example of the Popsicle PowerPoint template , which has a modern presentation color choice:

The Popsicle PowerPoint template highlights how harmonized color palettes can create beautiful slides.

15. Clean + Simple Formatting Makes All the Difference!

We’ve got a full tutorial on how to make a good presentation slide . Give it a read through and review the accompanying video. Just remember, less is more. The focus is you and your message , not your slides.

16. Make Sure All Objects Are Aligned

A simple way to create a well-designed presentation is to make sure all items on a slide are intentionally aligned. To do this, hold down Shift and select all the objects you want to include. Then choose Arrange in the options bar and apply Alignment Type .

17. Limit Punctuation

This isn’t the place for exclamation points. Emphasize your points (while speaking). Don’t enlist punctuation to do this for you. (Leave these at home!!!)

18. Avoid Over-Formatting Your Points

This PowerPoint presentation tip is simple. There’s no need to have every word of every bullet point capitalized, or to have all your bullet points in title case. If possible, drop bullets altogether. Again, the simpler, the better!

Limit your text formatting, including reducing the use of bullets, underline, and other effects. Compare the before example on the left to the revised version on the right.

19. Combine Information With Graphics in PowerPoint

One of the most powerful presentation skills for PPT is using infographics. With the right type of visuals, slides come to life and reduce the text in favor of graphics.

Infographics help combine information with graphics. It’s easier to explain complex ideas when you use visual formats that are intuitive.

Practice Presentation Tips: Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse!

Delivery is probably more important than the actual content. Here’s how to become more aware of your own unique ticks, and how to present like a polished pro:

20. I’ll Say It Again, Rehearse!

Just do it. Again and again. Experiment with pauses, gestures, and body language. Practice around one hour for every minute of your speech.

21. Practice With a Timer

Consistency is key to an effective PowerPoint presentation. The timing should be similar (ideally the same) each time you rehearse. This one will especially pay off when it’s time to present in front of your audience.

22. Slow It Down

Many of the best speakers today intentionally speak slowly. You’ll have the chance to emphasize, appear more thoughtful, and make your information easier to digest.

23. Pause More Often

Like the prior tip, pausing more often allows your main points to be emphasized and gives time for information to sink in. You need to let key points breathe a little before rushing into the next section.

24. Record Yourself

Use your phone’s voice recorder. Assess and critique yourself. Consider:

• Are your pauses too short or too long?
• Are you speaking slowly enough? Too slow?
• When you’re nervous, does your voice get high like the mice in Cinderella?

It’s always weird to hear your own voice recorded; don’t stress it. Use this as a time to adjust.

25. Choose Three Focal Points in the Room

If you stare at the same spot (or even creepier, the same person) the entire time, your presentation will be ineffective (and awkward.) People will be distracted by you, wondering what you’re staring at.

Try this: pick three points in the room (typically: left, center, right). Take time to direct your delivery toward each physical focal point in the room. Also, focus on the center when making your primary points.

26. Vary Your Sentence Length

This makes you sound more interesting, and it’s easier for your audience to follow. Think short and punchy. Or go long and complex for dramatic effect.

27. Modulate!

Don’t speak in monotone for your whole presentation. Be conscious of raising and lowering your voice tone. Otherwise, people will tune you out, and you’ll come across like the teacher in Charlie Brown.

28. Practice in Front of a Mirror

What you look like is as important as how you sound. Pretend you’re having a normal conversation, and allow your hands to move with your speech to emphasize your points. Just don’t get carried away! (I’m thinking Brene Brown or President Obama , not your Aunt Jamie after a few gin and tonics.)

29. Use “Present Mode” When Rehearsing

When you finally are ready to hit the Present button in PowerPoint, make sure you use the Present Mode option. This allows you (and only you) to view extra notes about each slide—just in case you forget something!

30. Practice With New Audiences

If possible, try doing a few real live test runs as a webinar or even at a local Toastmasters organization to get some feedback from a live audience.

31. Engage the Audience by Asking Questions

There’s no reason that a presentation should be one-sided. Why not invert the format and ask your audience a question?

To learn how to create a slide that kicks off a Q&A, use this article . These PowerPoint design tips help you create an engaging and exciting discussion.

Helpful Tips to Step Up and Deliver Come Presentation Time

When the actual day arrives, there are only a few last PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines to keep in mind:

32. Take a Deep Breath

Deep breathing is proven to relieve stress. It’s simple, and it’ll help you remain calm and in the moment, even up to the last minute before starting.

33. Lighten Up Your Mood

Tell yourself a joke or watch a funny video clip. Do this before the presentation, of course. Research concludes that happy people are more productive. More productive is more focused and able to perform better.

34. Remind Yourself to Take It Slow

When we’re stressed or nervous (or both), we tend to speak faster. Consciously, take yet another deep breath and remind yourself to take it slow!

35. Read the Room

Every presentation room has a temperature. It’s your job as a speaker to gauge it and tailor your presentation to it.

Here’s a great example. Layoffs are coming at a company, and you’re asked to speak to an audience. Even if the audience isn’t personally affected by the actions, you’ve got to consider the morale of the workforce.

Skilled speakers have a knack for reading the energy of the room and adjusting their presentation on the fly.

The last thing that group will want to hear is how strong the economy is and why the company is the best place to work. That doesn’t mean that you’ve got to align to their uncertainty, but don’t go too far against the grain while presenting.

Robert Kennedy III is a master of bringing energy and aligning a speech to the audience. Here’s his advice for adjusting:

“It can be hard to wake up a “dead” crowd but go for it. Most of all, don’t take their energy personally. Focus on serving them with every bit of your fiber then leave empty.”

36. Fake It ‘Til You Make It!

Go forward with confidence. If you act confident, you’ll start to feel more confident. Move slowly with grace, speak clearly, smile, wear something nice. You’ll appear confident to all attendees (no matter how you feel internally).

PowerPoint Presentation Tips and Tricks to Help Avoid Mistakes (What Not to Do)

Most importantly, focus on what you can do to make your presentation better. There are a few important things not to do that we’ve got to address. Here are a handful of PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks to help you avoid missteps.

37. Stop With the Sound Effects

Sound effects are distracting and outdated. In most cases, avoid them. Add audio or music to your presentation to inject interest or highlight an important point, but it’s something to take extra care with. If you insert audio, then make sure your use really connects with your audience and has a fresh approach. Otherwise, it’s best to leave it out.

38. Don’t Use Flashy Slide Transitions

Again, this is distracting and outdated. Use transitions and subtle animations in your PowerPoint presentation. But you need to take care and do it right .

39. Beware of Clip Art

This PowerPoint presentation tip shouldn’t even have to be said. But please, please don’t use clip art. Use professional graphics instead.

40. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Afraid

The fear of public speaking is a real one. Many beginners think that if they’re feeling nervous that a presentation won’t go well or succeed. That might lead them to cancel the presentation.

Here’s a tip from expert Sandra Zimmer, who leads The Self-Expression Center on conquering your fears before you take the stage:

“Get out of your head and into your body. I do this through a grounding exercise that really works to calm nerves and bring you present in the moment.”

If you think that public speaking fears aren’t normal, you might never give your award-winning presentation. So don’t be afraid to be afraid, and acknowledge it’s part of the process!

41. Don’t Read Directly During Your PowerPoint Presentation

If you spend your entire presentation looking at the screen or your note cards, you’re sure to lose your audience’s attention. They’ll disengage from what you’re saying, and your presentation will fall flat.

Reading from your paper or screen also makes it look like you’re not prepared. Many people do it, but no one should. As a general rule, only present something you know well and have, at least mostly, memorized the main points of.

42. Don’t Miss Out on PowerPoint Customizations

Many new PowerPoint users often make significant mistakes when using Envato Elements designs.

The best way to see how to make a good presentation PPT is to start with designs from others. That means using a template, but that doesn’t mean you can’t customize them!

Don’t forget that PowerPoint templates are infinitely customizable. Think of them as guides with built-in presentation design tips.

To see more presentation tips that show you what not to do, make sure to check out our guide .

Work in PowerPoint More Effectively (Tips & Tricks to Level Up Your PPT Skills)

These PowerPoint tips will help you get the most out of the application to level up your next presentation. Let’s dive in.

43. Use the Visual Guides

When you’re designing your next PowerPoint presentation, it helps to create a sense of visual rhythm. Slides that have objects aligned and centered are more likely to resonate with an audience.

44. Use a Few Animations (Tastefully)

Animations in effective PowerPoint presentations are a slippery slope. We’ve all sat through presentations where there were so many objects in motion that it was easy to lose focus on the key ideas in the presentation.

But that’s why animations get an unfairly bad reputation. Use animations to create motion and hold an audience’s attention. Use them sparingly and on key elements on your slide, and you’ll capture that attention properly.

45. Stage Key Content With Animations

You just learned that animations should avoid being distracting. But there’s an important principle to using animations properly. It’s called staging content.

Staging content means that the content appears step by step. There’s nothing worse than overwhelming an audience with all your content at once. But when you stage content, bring it on step by step.

Take it from presentation pro Suzannah Baum :

“If you’re sharing a slide with lots of different points on it, using the animation to reveal those points one at a time is a way to keep the presenter’s content flowing smoothly.”

For more animation presentation tips and tricks, follow our guide .

46. Add a Video to Your PowerPoint

When you’re sharing a big idea in your presentation, it helps to share your perspective from a few different angles. Adding a video to supplement your content can do just that. Luckily, it’s easy to add and embed a YouTube video in your next PowerPoint presentation.

47. Add Charts & Graphs

Charts and graphs can help you tell stories with data. It’s easy for an audience to zone out when you throw a big data table or set of statistics at them.

instead, convert those to charts and graphs. Try out our tutorial to learn how to edit those graphs.

48. Build Your Own Infographics With SmartArt

Earlier in this tutorial, we gave you one of my favorite PowerPoint design tips: use infographic templates.

Here’s another. One of my favorite PowerPoint features is SmartArt, which allows you to build infographics right inside the app.

You don’t have to use another graphic design app like Photoshop or Illustrator to add visuals. Instead, try out SmartArt to help you build graphics that are easy to update.

49. Use Presenter View

Remember that when you use the PowerPoint, you’ re the presentation. The slides are just there to reinforce what you’ve got to say and support your speaking points.

That’s why I always recommend using Presenter view. More often than not, you’re going to have several displays. Presenter view shows your content on your screen, while your presentation is displayed on another screen.

50. Track Your PowerPoint Changes

One of my favorite PowerPoint design tips is to collaborate. Those who know you best will suggest compelling changes that are sure to help you succeed.

As you start collaborating on your presentation, it helps to keep track of proposed and included PowerPoint changes. Use this article to track changes made by others.

10 More Advanced PowerPoint Tips & Tricks

Really need to wow an audience with a good PowerPoint presentation? Give these tips a try to make an unforgettable impression:

51. Engage With an Interactive Quiz

A good PowerPoint presentation gets your audience involved. One of the best PowerPoint tricks is to do that with a quiz. By engaging audiences, a quiz makes your slides memorable.

By adding trivia, you’ll see how to present a PowerPoint in a way that people will love. Channel your inner game-show host today. MIDTEST is a  good PowerPoint presentation  with quiz slides.

52. Illustrate With Custom Image Masks

One of the top PowerPoint tips is to illustrate your slides. But you can go beyond simple, rectangular images on each slide.

The Burte template is full of  PowerPoint tricks , including custom image masks. Image masks shape photos into unique works of art. And thanks to premium templates, you can style photos just like this. Masks overlay your photos onto geometric shapes, instantly elevating your style.

53. Print Handouts With Extra Notes

Wonder how to give a good presentation PPT that audiences will remember? Give them a piece of it to take home.

PowerPoint makes it easy to print handouts with room for notes on the page. This way, audiences can keep copies of your slides, along with their own notes. This is the perfect way to ensure everyone engages with and retains your content.

54. Make Bulk Edits With Master Slides

When you think about how to present a PowerPoint, consider your branding. That means keeping your logo front and center in the eyes of an audience. But if you’re working with a lengthy slide deck, this could seem daunting.

That’s where master slides come in. They’re common in premium layouts, and they’re a leading example of presentation skills for PPT. Master slides let you make bulk edits fast.

55. Shrink File Sizes for Sharing

Many of the top presentation tips involve making your slides more accessible. Often, that involves sharing them with audiences online.

You’ll often find that email clients and cloud services limit the size of files that you share. This can be a problem with large PPT slide decks. But there are a few quick steps you can take to reduce PPT file size. Cut graphics, scale down photos, and more.

56. Map Processes With Flowcharts

As you consider how to do a good PowerPoint presentation, think of ease of understanding. After all, you’re trying to explain something to your audience.

The  Flowcharts in Infographics  template seamlessly illustrates ideas and processes. A flowchart maps out a process in a visual way. Instead of resorting to endless narration, try a quick illustration like this. It saves you time and effort, and your audience is sure to thank you.

57. Use Brand-Specific Colors

Using presentation skills for PPT helps form an association between your message and branding. There’s no better way to do that than with your brand colors.

PowerPoint makes it easy to change color themes, adding your brand colors and logo to each slide. This is one of the top PowerPoint tricks for marketing presentations.

58. Build Social Media Posts in PPT

A good PowerPoint presentation doesn’t have to be shared through a projector. Use the app and templates to build amazing illustrations to use anywhere.

A template like Soffee helps you learn how to present a PowerPoint easily with a pre-built design.

Try using PowerPoint to create social media posts. It helps you engage with your audience, with no need to design custom layouts from scratch.

59. Be Industry-Specific

One of the top presentation tips in 2024 is to be industry-specific. That means avoiding generic layouts and choosing something more customized.

This offers two key advantages. First, you save time by having layouts built for you. Second, you gain design inspiration for your specific topic. Themed templates are truly the best of both worlds.

The Medical and Health template is a good PowerPoint presentation with a set theme.

60. Design for Online (Virtual) Sharing

Last but not least in our list of PowerPoint tips comes virtual presenting. More and more often, slides will be shared with online audiences around the globe.

Why not design your slides for that very purpose? And then learn how to share flawlessly with a global team? It’s one of the top presentation tips for 2024. Embrace it today.

More Great PowerPoint Tutorial Resources

We’ve built a resource for Microsoft PowerPoint that you’re sure to want to try. It includes countless PowerPoint tips and tricks. It’s called How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide) and has all the PowerPoint design tips you need.

Discover More Top PowerPoint Template Designs From Envato Elements for 2024

You’ve just seen our favorite powerful PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines to help you improve your speaking. We’ve also mentioned Envato Elements, an incredible all-you-can-download source for top PowerPoint designs .

Here are five of the best PowerPoint templates that you can use to create your best presentation yet:

1. Galaxi PowerPoint Template

Blast off to success with the help of this PowerPoint template! Think of the pre-built slide designs as pro PowerPoint design tips. They’re built by professional graphic designers. All the popular and modern slide styles that are perfect for your next presentation. Use Galaxi’s five styles and 30 designs to create a great presentation.

2. Masmax PowerPoint Template

We selected templates for this article that match the PowerPoint tips and tricks provided. Masmax fits the bill perfectly across its 234 unique slide designs. These slide designs are sure to align with the latest in design expectations.

3. STYLE Multipurpose PowerPoint Template V50

Style is subjective, but we can all agree that this template is stunning! The light and airy slide designs are built with fashion-focused designs in mind. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not perfect for most presentations. When learning to present a PowerPoint, remember that templates can be customized to suit your purpose.

4. Peachme Creative PowerPoint Template

Peachme has image-focused slides with splashy designs. The slides are colorful and perfect for a modern presentation. Don’t worry about remembering all the PowerPoint design tips because they’re included in the pre-built slides. Use Peachme’s designs for your presentation today.

5. Buizi Office Building Rent PowerPoint Template

Buizi markets itself as a real estate focused template. It’s ideal for that purpose because of the minimal, image-focused slide designs. But that also makes it a perfect choice for presentations in many fields.

We’ve just scratched the surface of PowerPoint design tips with these five options. Here are many more, bundled inside of the best roundups on Envato Tuts+:

How to Build a Good PowerPoint Presentation Quickly (In 2024)

You’ve already seen effective presentation skills PPT techniques. But you may be wondering exactly how to do a good PowerPoint presentation. It only takes a few clicks. Let’s learn how in just five steps.

For this mini-tutorial, we’ll use the Enjoy PowerPoint Template from Envato Elements. You’ll see that it’s a beautiful template that helps you learn how to present a PowerPoint by giving you every object and layout you need.

Let’s get started:

1. Choose Your Slides

As you can see, a template like Enjoy has dozens of unique slides inside. The key to how to give a good presentation PPT is to choose only the slides that you need.

One of the best PowerPoint tricks is to start by selecting slides you wish to use from your template.

In PowerPoint, scroll through the sidebar on the left to view different slide layouts. Right-click and choose Delete to remove unwanted designs. Plus, you can click and drag slide thumbnails to reorder them in the deck.

2. Add Text

Consider how to do a good PowerPoint presentation without investing a ton of time. That’s where premium templates come in.

One of our top presentation tips when working with a PPT is to lean on the pre-built text boxes for your content.

To add custom text, simply click and select the contents of any text box on your slide. Then, type in your own words. Repeat as needed throughout your slide deck.

3. Customize Fonts

With text selected, it’s easy to customize fonts on each slide. Find the Font section on PowerPoint’s Home tab. From there, you’ve got a variety of dropdown options.

Another of our top tips for presentation tricks is to use a custom font setting in your template.

Click to change the font, font size, and more. You can also use the buttons on the left to add bolds, italics, and more.

Need more custom font styles? As an Envato Elements subscriber, you’ve got instant access to thousands of custom fonts . Use them in your presentation with ease.

4. Insert Images

Slides like this one contain an image placeholder. That’s another advantage found only with premium templates. These make adding images a breeze.

Add images to your PPTX template for more visually interesting slides.

To get started, find an image file stored on your computer. Then, drag and drop it over the placeholder. PowerPoint will import it, sized and scaled for a perfect fit.

5. Change Colors

One of the top effective presentation skills is changing shape colors. This helps you control the look and feel of each slide.

With a shape selected, find the Shape Format tab on PowerPoint’s ribbon. Then, click on the Shape Fill dropdown. You’ll see a color chooser menu appear. Click on any thumbnail to apply it to the shape or browse through the Gradient and Texture options.

Start Putting These PowerPoint Presentation Tips & Tricks Into Use Today!

Learning to write, design, and present a PowerPoint presentation is an invaluable skill, no matter where you use it. If you’re a good communicator of important messages, you’ll never go hungry.

Luckily, improving PowerPoint presentations isn’t as hard as it seems. Follow these tips for PowerPoint presentations to design and deliver with greater confidence.

Remember: Less is more (effective) . Use PowerPoint presentation templates for better design and more effective visual impact. And you can customize a PPT template quickly , with the right workflow.

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Blog Marketing How To Start a Presentation: 15 Ways to Set the Stage

How To Start a Presentation: 15 Ways to Set the Stage

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 25, 2023

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – it’s your opportunity to make a lasting impression and captivate your audience. 

A strong presentation start acts as a beacon, cutting through the noise and instantly capturing the attention of your listeners. With so much content vying for their focus, a captivating opening ensures that your message stands out and resonates with your audience.

Whether you’re a startup business owner pitching a brilliant idea, a seasoned presenter delivering a persuasive talk or an expert sharing your experience, the start of your presentation can make all the difference. But don’t fret — I’ve got you covered with 15 electrifying ways to kickstart your presentation. 

The presentation introduction examples in this article cover everything from self-introduction to how to start a group presentation, building anticipation that leaves the audience eager to delve into the depths of your topic.

Click to jump ahead:

How to start a presentation introduction

15 ways to start a presentation and captivate your audience, common mistakes to avoid in the opening of a presentation, faqs on how to start a presentation, captivate the audience from the get-go.

Presentations can be scary, I know. But even if stage fright hits, you can always fall back on a simple strategy.

Just take a deep breath, introduce yourself and briefly explain the topic of your presentation.

To grab attention at the start, try this opening line: Hello everyone. I am so glad you could join me today. I’m very excited about today’s topic. I’m [Your Name] and I’ll be talking about [Presentation Topic]. Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by [Challenge related to your topic]. Many of us might have faced challenges with [Challenge related to your topic]. Today, we’ll explore some strategies that’ll help us [Solution that you’re presenting].

Regardless of your mode of presentation , crafting an engaging introduction sets the stage for a memorable presentation.

Let’s dive into some key tips for how to start a presentation speech to help you nail the art of starting with a bang:

Understand your audience

The key to an engaging introduction is to know your audience inside out and give your audience what they want. Tailor your opening to resonate with their specific interests, needs and expectations. Consider what will captivate them and how you can make your presentation relevant to their lives or work.

Use a compelling hook

Grab the audience’s attention from the get-go with a compelling hook. Whether it’s a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact or a gripping story, a powerful opening will immediately pique their curiosity and keep them invested in what you have to say.

State your purpose

Be crystal clear about your subject matter and the purpose of your presentation. In just a few sentences, communicate the main objectives and the value your audience will gain from listening to you. Let them know upfront what to expect and they’ll be more likely to stay engaged throughout.

Introduce yourself and your team

Give a self introduction about who you are such as your job title to establish credibility and rapport with the audience.

Some creative ways to introduce yourself in a presentation would be by sharing a brief and engaging personal story that connects to your topic or the theme of your presentation. This approach instantly makes you relatable and captures the audience’s attention.

Now, let’s talk about — how to introduce team members in a presentation. Before introducing each team member, briefly explain their role or contribution to the project or presentation. This gives the audience an understanding of their relevance and expertise.

Group presentations are also a breeze with the help of Venngage. Our in-editor collaboration tools allow you to edit presentations side by side in real-time. That way, you can seamlessly hare your design with the team for input and make sure everyone is on track. 

Maintain enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is contagious! Keep the energy levels up throughout your introduction, conveying a positive and upbeat tone. A vibrant and welcoming atmosphere sets the stage for an exciting presentation and keeps the audience eager to hear more.

Before you think about how to present a topic, think about how to design impactful slides that can leave a lasting impression on the audience. Here are 120+ presentation ideas , design tips, and examples to help you create an awesome slide deck for your next presentation.

Captivating your audience from the get-go is the key to a successful presentation. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or a novice taking the stage for the first time, the opening of your presentation sets the tone for the entire talk. 

So, let’s get ready to dive into the 15 most creative ways to start a presentation. I promise you these presentation introduction ideas will captivate your audience, leaving them hanging on your every word.

Grab-attention immediately

Ask a thought-provoking question.

Get the audience’s wheels turning by throwing them a thought-provoking question right out of the gate. Make them ponder, wonder and engage their critical thinking muscles from the very start.

Share a surprising statistic or fact

Brace yourself for some wide eyes and dropped jaws! Open your presentation with a jaw-dropping statistic or a mind-blowing fact that’s directly related to your topic. Nothing captures attention like a good ol’ dose of shock and awe.

State a bold statement or challenge

Ready to shake things up? Kick off with a bold and daring statement that sets the stage for your presentation’s epic journey. Boldness has a way of making ears perk up and eyes widen in anticipation!

Engage with a poll or interactive activity

Turn the audience from passive listeners to active participants by kicking off with a fun poll or interactive activity. Get them on their feet, or rather — their fingertips, right from the start!

Venngage’s user-friendly drag-and-drop editor allows you to easily transform your slides into an interactive presentation . Create clickable buttons or navigation elements within your presentation to guide your audience to different sections or external resources. 

Enhance engagement by incorporating videos or audio clips directly into your presentation. Venngage supports video and audio embedding, which can add depth to your content.

Begin with an opening phrase that captures attention

Use opening phrases that can help you create a strong connection with your audience and make them eager to hear more about what you have to say. Remember to be confident, enthusiastic and authentic in your delivery to maximize the impact of your presentation.

Here are some effective presentation starting words and phrases that can help you grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for a captivating presentation:

• “Imagine…”
• “Picture this…”
• “Did you know that…”
• “Have you ever wondered…”
• “In this presentation, we’ll explore…”
• “Let’s dive right in and discover…”
• “I’m excited to share with you…”
• “I have a confession to make…”
• “I want to start by telling you a story…”
• “Before we begin, let’s consider…”
• “Have you ever faced the challenge of…”
• “We all know that…”
• “This is a topic close to my heart because…”
• “Over the next [minutes/hours], we’ll cover…”
• “I invite you to journey with me through…”

Build connection and credibility

Begin with a personal connection .

Share a real-life experience or a special connection to the topic at hand. This simple act of opening up creates an instant bond with the audience, turning them into your biggest cheerleaders.

Having the team share their personal experiences is also a good group presentation introduction approach. Team members can share their own stories that are related to the topic to create an emotional connection with your audience. 

Tell a relevant story

Start your presentation with a riveting story that hooks your audience and relates to your main message. Stories have a magical way of captivating hearts and minds. Organize your slides in a clear and sequential manner and use visuals that complement your narrative and evoke emotions to engage the audience.

With Venngage, you have access to a vast library of high-quality and captivating stock photography, offering thousands of options to enrich your presentations. The best part? It’s entirely free! Elevate your visual storytelling with stunning images that complement your content, captivate your audience and add a professional touch to your presentation. 

Use a powerful quote

Sometimes, all you need is some wise words to work wonders. Begin with a powerful quote from a legendary figure that perfectly fits your presentation’s theme — a dose of inspiration sets the stage for an epic journey.

Build anticipation

Provide a brief outline.

Here’s a good introduction for presentation example if you’re giving a speech at a conference. For longer presentations or conferences with multiple speakers especially, providing an outline helps the audience stay focused on the key takeaways. That way, you can better manage your time and ensure that you cover all the key points without rushing or running out of time.

Pose a problem and offer a solution

A great idea on how to start a business presentation is to start by presenting a problem and offering a well-thought-out solution. By addressing their pain points and showcasing your solution, you’ll capture their interest and set the stage for a compelling and successful presentation.

Back up your solution with data, research, or case studies that demonstrate its effectiveness. This can also be a good reporting introduction example that adds credibility to your proposal.

Preparing a pitch deck can be a daunting task but fret not. This guide on the 30+ best pitch deck tips and examples has everything you need to bring on new business partners and win new client contracts. Alternatively, you can also get started by customizing one of our professional pitch deck templates for free. 

Incite curiosity in the audience

Utilize visuals or props.

Capture your audience’s gaze by whipping out captivating visuals or props that add an exciting touch to your subject. A well-placed prop or a stunning visual can make your presentation pop like a fireworks show!

That said, you maybe wondering — how can I make my presentation more attractive.  A well-designed presentation background instantly captures the audience’s attention and creates a positive first impression. Here are 15 presentation background examples to keep the audience awake to help you get inspired. 

Use humor or wit

Sprinkle some humor and wit to spice things up. Cracking a clever joke or throwing in a witty remark can break the ice and create a positively charged atmosphere. If you’re cracking your head on how to start a group presentation, humor is a great way to start a presentation speech. 

Get your team members involved in the fun to create a collaborative and enjoyable experience for everyone. Laughter is the perfect way to break the ice and set a positive tone for your presentation!

Invoke emotion

Get those heartstrings tugging! Start with a heartfelt story or example that stirs up emotions and connects with your audience on a personal level. Emotion is the secret sauce to a memorable presentation.

Aside from getting creative with your introduction, a well-crafted and creative presentation can boost your confidence as a presenter. Browse our catalog of creative presentation templates and get started right away!

Use a dramatic pause

A great group presentation example is to start with a powerful moment of silence, like a magician about to reveal their greatest trick. After introducing your team, allow a brief moment of silence. Hold the pause for a few seconds, making it feel deliberate and purposeful. This builds anticipation and curiosity among the audience.

Pique their interest

Share a fun fact or anecdote.

Time for a little fun and games! Kick-off with a lighthearted or fascinating fact that’ll make the audience go, “Wow, really? Tell me more!” A sprinkle of amusement sets the stage for an entertaining ride.

While an introduction for a presentation sets the tone for your speech, a good slide complements your spoken words, helping the audience better understand and remember your message. Check out these 12 best presentation software for 2023 that can aid your next presentation. 

The opening moments of a presentation can make or break your entire talk. It’s your chance to grab your audience’s attention, set the tone, and lay the foundation for a successful presentation. However, there are some common pitfalls that speakers often fall into when starting their presentations. 

Starting with Apologies

It might be tempting to start with a preemptive apology, especially if you’re feeling nervous or unsure about your presentation. However, beginning with unnecessary apologies or self-deprecating remarks sets a negative tone right from the start. Instead of exuding confidence and credibility, you’re unintentionally undermining yourself and your message. 

Reading from Slides

One of the most common blunders in the opening of a PowerPoint presentation is reading directly from your slides or script. While it’s crucial to have a well-structured outline, reciting word-for-word can lead to disengagement and boredom among your audience. Maintain eye contact and connect with your listeners as you speak. Your slides should complement your words, not replace them.

Overwhelming with Information

In the excitement to impress, some presenters bombard their audience with too much information right at the beginning.

Instead of overloading the audience with a sea of data, statistics or technical details that can quickly lead to confusion and disinterest, visualize your data with the help of Venngage. Choose an infographic template that best suits the type of data you want to visualize. Venngage offers a variety of pre-designed templates for charts, graphs, infographics and more.

Ignoring the Audience

It’s easy to get caught up in the content and forget about the people in front of you. Don’t overlook the importance of acknowledging the audience and building a connection with them. Greet them warmly, make eye contact and maintain body language to show genuine interest in their presence. Engage the audience early on by asking a show of hands question or encourage audience participation. 

Lack of Clarity

Your audience should know exactly what to expect from your presentation. Starting with a vague or unclear opening leaves them guessing about the purpose and direction of your talk. Clearly communicate the topic and objectives of your presentation right from the beginning. This sets the stage for a focused and coherent message that resonates with your audience.

Simplicity makes it easier for the audience to understand and retain the information presented. Check out our gallery of simple presentation templates to keep your opening concise and relevant. 

Skipping the Hook

The opening of your presentation is the perfect opportunity to hook your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. However, some presenters overlook this crucial aspect and dive straight into the content without any intrigue. Craft an attention-grabbing hook that sparks curiosity, poses a thought-provoking question or shares an interesting fact. A compelling opening is like the key that unlocks your audience’s receptivity to the rest of your presentation.

Now that you’ve got the gist of how to introduce a presentation, further brush up your speech with these tips on how to make a persuasive presentation and how to improve your presentation skills to create an engaging presentation . 

How can I overcome nervousness at the beginning of a presentation?

To overcome nervousness at the beginning of a presentation, take deep breaths, practice beforehand, and focus on connecting with your audience rather than worrying about yourself.

How long should the opening of a presentation be?

The opening of a presentation should typically be brief, lasting around 1 to 3 minutes, to grab the audience’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the talk.

Should I memorize my presentation’s opening lines?

While it’s helpful to know your opening lines, it’s better to understand the key points and flow naturally to maintain authenticity and flexibility during the presentation.

Should I use slides during the opening of my presentation?

Using slides sparingly during the opening can enhance the message, but avoid overwhelming the audience with too much information early on.

How do I transition smoothly from the opening to the main content of my presentation?

Transition smoothly from the opening to the main content by providing a clear and concise outline of what’s to come, signaling the shift and maintaining a logical flow between topics.

Just as a captivating opening draws your audience in, creating a well-crafted presentation closing has the power to leave a lasting impression. Wrap up in style with these 10 ways to end a presentation .

Presenting virtually? Check out these tips on how to ace your next online presentation . 

Captivating your audience from the very beginning is crucial for a successful presentation. The first few moments of your talk can set the tone and determine whether your audience remains engaged throughout or loses interest. 

Start with a compelling opening that grabs their attention. You can use a thought-provoking question, a surprising statistic or a powerful quote to pique their curiosity. Alternatively, storytelling can be a potent tool to draw them into your narrative. It’s essential to establish a personal connection early on, whether by sharing a relatable experience or expressing empathy towards their needs and interests.

Lastly, be mindful of your body language and vocal delivery. A confident and engaging speaker can captivate an audience, so make eye contact, use appropriate gestures and vary your tone to convey passion and sincerity.

In conclusion, captivating your audience from the very beginning requires thoughtful preparation, engaging content and a confident delivery. With Venngage’s customizable templates, you can adapt your presentation to suit the preferences and interests of your specific audience, ensuring maximum engagement. Go on and get started today!

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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