good speech hooks examples

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50+ Hook Examples: The Opening Lines That Make Your Essay Successful

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Writing a good paper starts with brainstorming a brilliant hook, which keeps your audience engaged with the text. There are many ways to formulate hooks, which will help your writing sound more original and compelling. Looking at some essay hook examples and tips on writing them is the first step to creating one of your own!

In this article:

What is a Hook?

Tips for creating a great hook, question hook examples, strong statement examples, fact/statistic hook examples, metaphor/simile hook examples, anecdotal hook examples.

A “hook” is a sentence that grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them interested in the outcome of your academic text or research paper. The hook is found in the first sentence or two in the opening paragraph in an academic text and serves both as an introduction and an attention grabber.

In literature, such sentences are often found in novels. A great personal favorite of mine is Christmas Carol’s first sentence: “Marley was dead: to begin with. ” This invites tons of interesting questions and piques your curiosity, making you want to read along.

We come across hook examples in our day-to-day lives, scrolling through YouTube video titles and website links. Clickbait can be considered the hook of the modern world, and there are tons of techniques to learn from it.

However, this article will focus on essay hooks for academic papers specifically. In the section below, we’ll be discussing tips on writing hook sentences and engaging your reader’s interest through a single opening sentence.

There are different types of hook sentences in an essay introduction. We’ll take a look at each type, and a few tips, so later on, you can start formulating your own essay hooks based on these few examples.

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• Question Hook: If you’re writing an art essay, philosophy paper, or business coursework, choosing a compelling and interesting question will leave the readers pondering throughout your text. The reader will automatically try to look for the answer within your research paper.
• Strong Statement: The opening lines can be controversial, a bold claim – the best hooks for argumentative essays are. This method can shock your audience, and they’ll be curious to learn how you defend your argument.
• Fact/Statistic Hook: These hook examples are used for scientific and academic assignments, allowing you to use a lesser-known fact or statistic which will grab the reader’s attention.
• Metaphor/Simile Hook: You can set up a scene by telling a short story for your readers to imagine before getting to your essay’s core. This metaphor hook can be highly compelling and relatable to your audience.
• Anecdotal Hook: The trickiest essay hook used to diffuse the tension surrounding a heavy topic. This tricky opening line should be carefully thought out and guaranteed to make the reader laugh and only used in the right circumstances.

If you’re using the fact/statistic hook, always make sure you quote a credible source. The same goes for the interesting facts hook type. Include those sources in the body of your essay.

It also helps to think of a hook you came across recently that made an impression on you. Was it a controversial blog post? A captivating personal story? A thesis statement that made you ponder?

Once you finish reading our article, it’s helpful to test your hook and introductory paragraph out to an audience. Have another student, tutor, or parent read it. See if it’s doing its purpose – is the reader engaged? What did they understand from your hook? Is the essay topic clear?

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time. Writing is a long process and requires a lot of rewriting. Take a small break and give it another go.

How to Write a Great Hook + Examples

There are two crucial points to follow when you write a hook:

• Keep your sentences short – don’t overstuff your sentences or let them run longer than two rows.
• Use simple, comprehensive language – the ultimate essay can be read and understood by anyone, even people outside your academic course.

It’s time to get to the examples!

• What if I told you the world has an unlimited energy resource?
• How much screen time is too much for elementary school children?
• Is online education the best way to learn in the middle of a pandemic?
• Did you know women are twice as likely to experience clinical depression than men?
• Are your evening habits keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep?
• Do jobs that require degrees have a higher earning potential?
• How important is it for YouTubers to use search engine optimization strategies?
• Will the consumption of meat products become a luxury in the year 2050?
• Has reading become more challenging due to our short attention span?
• Have you ever wondered why traffic builds up on no-stop roads?
• Why we should feel sorry for high achievers?
• Why you don’t need to be exceptional?
• How much sugar do you think you consume?
• The effects of global warming are irreversible, so what can we do to optimize our living now?
• Should fireworks be banned due to noise pollution and its effect on animals?
• Has television died in place for streaming services?
• Is our hatred of certain foods and flavors a direct result of our genetic heritage?
• Android app development will die out in the next twenty years.
• You’ll always marry the wrong person.
• Why is ordinary life not good enough anymore?
• Why are romantics ruining love?
• “The wicked tend to win” Machiavelli
• The hardest person in the world to break up with.
• Some imaginary friends can cultivate independence in a child.
• Did you know that space smells like seared steak?
• The human body houses 10 times more bacteria than it does cells.
• The longest war in the world is between the Netherlands and Sicily and here’s what happened.
• “A country that demands moral perfection in its foreign policy will achieve neither perfection nor security” H. Kissinger
• Cat purring can be beneficial to your health.
• There is a scientific explanation behind boredom.
• The average drunk driver drives under the influence more than 80 times before they get arrested for the first time.
• 1/3 of adults still sleep with a comfort toy in bed.
• The average American generates nearly 4.5 pounds of trash each day.
• The global rate for keeping good hygiene after using the toilet is 20%.
• Americans read for pleasure for less than 10 minutes every day.
• The average American eats around 13 pounds of ice cream each year.
• More than 1/2 million people experience homelessness each night.
• Approximately 90% of people who experience a cardiac arrest outside of hospitals die.
• Farmers and ranchers make up less than 2% of Americans.
• Approximately half of Americans will experience a mental illness during their lifetime.
• My cousin Joanna went to a party with red lipstick all over her teeth. I couldn’t help myself to tell her.
• I dressed up as a werewolf last Halloween. That’s when everything started.
• As a child my grandfather gave my grandma her favorite flower- a rose on every holiday. Does this kind of love still exist?
• Last year my parents dragged me to Paris six times. I had the most dreadful time – I just couldn’t understand how such a historic city can be so dirty, or why.
• The cause and effect example – when talking about the importance of safety, tell a story with an important moral.
• Imagine sitting by the fire with the love of your life…
• I have a four-year old baby – my publishing business I started in 2018.
• The picture of… brought back memories of…
• It’s difficult to talk about… because…
• If you were a famous person, would you…
• When I was 6, I was given a pet hamster for Christmas. Needless to say, little Zach is gone now, but I wonder how long he could have lived if I had been given it at 12?
• One reason I decided to switch to a healthy diet is… well it’s cheaper than buying a whole new set of clothes!
• I like talking to myself. Sometimes I have these seemingly clever and long conversations. I hardly have a clue what I’m talking about.

Mastering the hook sentence is something you might end up using in your day-to-day life, especially if you go into academia, publishing, or journalism as a career choice. But that’s not it – we use hooks to communicate on social media. The title of our blog post or recent youtube video are examples of well-formulated hooks. The quicker you start practicing them the easier they’ll become to use.

If you’re having any other academic trouble, like coming up with essay topics , or you want to learn the outlines of the different essay types, we can help you with that! You’ll become an essay writing pro in no time! We’ve got some good and interesting research paper topics we’re proud of, as well as demonstration speech topics ! Hook sentence examples are just the start!

We hope this article has helped you master the art of essay writing, and you now find the reader agrees with your point of view! Let us know of any good hook examples you came up with!

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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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9 Killer Speech Openers to Start a Talk or Presentation.​

Danny Riley 8 min read

What you’ll learn:

• The importance of a “killer” speech opening.
• 9 powerful speech openers and how to use them.
• Examples from great speakers you can learn from.

Great speech openers hook your audience.

“ Well begun is half done” – Mary Poppins.

A killer speech opener will make the difference between a presentation that makes you soar or your audience snore .

I’ve researched the whole web to find nine killer speech openers to make your audience lean in and listen rather than tune out and daydream.

You’ll see how masters of the craft have used them, and how you can too.

Number seven takes hutzpah to pull off. Ready for the whole list of killer speech openers?

The Shock Opener

One of the best ways to open your speech with a buzz is to startle or shock them.

You can shock an audience in many ways, but they all rest on the major senses of VAKS:

• Kinesthetic (touch) 

We don’t want your audience tasting your talk, but it should leave a good taste in their mouths.

Changing Minds suggests asking if the audience is awake after appearing from a flashbang and a cloud of smoke, and this might work for you if you’re a magician or playing some kind of character for your speech like a genie.

Suppose you aren’t going for the magic angle. 

In that case, you can shock them on a psychological level instead, as Conor Neill recommends, and tell your audience a surprising fact or statistic that makes them question their thinking or beliefs.

“Did you know that half the water on earth is older than the sun?”

Questions like these will shake an audience awake and turn on their critical thinking nervous-system.

Don’t take my word for it; you can see an incredible demonstration of the shock opener in Mohammed Qahtani’s speech, The Power of Words .

Qahtani opens by taking out a cigarette and placing it into his mouth before trying to light it. The audience is so shocked that they gasp and tell him to stop.

Remember, if your audience is shocked, they are listening.

Your audience doesn’t always have to be jolted to attention with a shock opener, though you can use a more subtle approach to grab their focus. 

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The story opener.

You can set the tone of your speech instantly with a story .

In Hollywood, filmmakers and directors use an ‘establishing shot’ to set the tone and theme of the entire film.

When creating your speech, think of a short story that sums up your talk.

Maybe you tell half the story to begin with, and then the other half at the end. 

The important thing is your tale must be relatable . If your audience can’t imagine themselves in the story, they won’t be engaged.

We all experience very similar things in life: 

• We all went to school and had a teacher we loved
• We all have parents who loved us or made mistakes in our upbringing
• We all had a first crush.

We are all cut from the same cloth, so it’s good to be reminded that others are going through what we face or think as we do.

Bryan Stevenson does a stellar job of recounting his mischievous grandmother in his TED talk, We need to talk about an injustice .

The best thing is, you can combine a story-opener with any other speech opener in this list.

It’s truly versatile.

One of my favourite speech openers is next, though.

The Intrigue Opener

I love this speech opener.

What better way to hook your audience than to intrigue them with mystery or a juicy secret?

Take a look at Daniel Pink’s TED Talk The puzzle of motivation . After he begins, Pink, looking like a guilty man sent to the gallows tells his audience:

“I need to confess something, at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something I regret. Something I’m not particularly proud of”.

Wow. How intriguing, right?

You have to admit; you want to know what he’s about to confess.

Choose every sentence, every word, and every mark of punctuation to increase the tantalisation temperature.

Whether it’s a secret or confession, the Intrigue Opener piques just enough curiosity in your audience to keep them from checking Whatsapp.

As humans, we need closure. 

We do not like open loops. 

That’s why it is both enthralling and aggravating when someone plays on our need to be sure.

Just as we cannot stand an open loop, we are instantly engaged when someone gives us a puzzle to solve.

You’ll notice the best speeches, books, tv shows, and films do not spoon feed you all of the information.

I’ve always liked the way Malcolm Gladwell writes his non-fiction books because they contain puzzles that you solve as a reader.

This puzzle needs to be related to the speech or presentation you’re delivering, of course. It cannot be a random puzzle and will ideally be impossible or extremely difficult to solve at first.

After the speech begins and the puzzle is revealed, you should slowly drop hints on how to solve the mystery.

Up next, speech openers that use a physical object to create curiosity in the audience’s mind.

The Prop Opener

One of the most potent ways you will captivate your audience is to use a powerful prop in your opening address.

What better way to capture an audience’s imagination than to show them a mysterious or beautiful object?

If you’ve never seen the Prop Opener done well, then take a look at one of the greatest speeches of all time:

Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s, See Something .

Danajaya enters with a simple rose in his breast pocket, takes it out, gazes at it nostalgically, smells it and then begins to speak.

This same prop appears again right at the end of his speech to end his talk with a flourish.

There are many different props you can use.

JJ Abrams used a Mystery Box to absorb the audience’s attention and used the box as a metaphor for his entire career.

If you think the prop opener is just for TED Talks and Toastmasters Final Speeches, remember that most company product launch centre around one or more props.

Steve Jobs revealed his new products in ever-innovative ways.

Still, while the last two speeches I’ve mentioned opened with physical items, most of Jobs’s presentations built intrigue through the sight of the product.

So remember, you can use an object, or tease your audience with the absence of a prop, but make that prop integral to your talk.

You don’t always have to use a prop, of course. 

A more minimalist approach to opening your speech uses the best audience reaction a speaker can receive: laughter.

The Funny Opener

Using laughter to win over your audience is the golden ticket to immediate rapport with your audience.

Jack Schafer, PhD at Psychology Today, said that People Will Like You If You Make Them Laugh , which seems obvious, but at least you know we have scientists on the case. 

He also mentions that constructing humour requires and projects a high level of intelligence .

Of course, laughter is subjective, but it is also infectious, and if you get enough members of your audience to titter, it will spread across the whole group.

If you want to see just how quickly you can win an audience over with humour, take a look at Ken Robinson’s subtle but delightful ability to raise a chuckle in his speech Do Schools Kill Creativity? 

Ken’s ability to speak conversationally to an audience of thousands is genuinely remarkable.

If you break down his humour, it is easy to see how you could include similar content in your presentations. 

Whether you can pull it off as well as Ken is another story.

Not everyone feels like they can be a comedian, though; I get that. 

Well, that’s alright because there are other ways to open your talk that play on other strong emotions.

You can inspire your audience too.

The Inspirational Opener

One of my favourite ways to help beginner speakers to open their presentation is with a quote.

A quote acts like a story in that it sets the tone and theme of your speech, but it takes much less effort and even less skill.

An effective quote is usually only one line long and supported by the credibility of the original author who uttered those words.

Watch the way Clint Smith opens his TED Talk  The Danger of Silence .

Using Martin Luther King’s voice to start his speech gives Clint what psychologists call the transference effect .

Just by citing someone else, especially someone admired and famous, you redirect the emotions an audience have towards that person onto yourself.

One caveat to using quotes, though:

Fact check them . I cringe whenever I see someone incorrectly quoting someone.

Have you ever heard the quote by Albert Einstein:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results”?

A great quote, isn’t it?

But Albert Einstein never said those words .

A quick check on Reuters will help you add more credibility to your inspirational opener.

Finally, try to use a quote few people have ever heard. Inspiring words have been filling the archives of history for millennia, so seek out something that has been left dusty on the shelf rather than the same recycled iterations.

Next, let’s look at a type of bold speech opener that take real hutzpah to land well.

The Perspective Shift Opener

A powerful speech opener that will take confidence is the perspective shift opener.

This opener will lead the audience in one direction before changing direction and setting a new pace for the speech.

Cameron Russel does a fantastic job of controlling the frame in her TED Talk Looks aren’t everything. Believe me; I’m a model.

Russel takes to the stage dressed in a skimpy dress and begins to tell the audience about her career, but then does a rapid wardrobe change on stage in front of the entire audience. 

This change of dress sets a new tone, feel, and direction for the speech.

If you can change the audience’s perspective or frame of reality, you are in the driving seat.

One of the best things you can hope for as a speaker is moving hearts and changing minds. 

If you aren’t a confident speaker, start small.

Vanessa Van Edwards suggests never mentioning how nervous you are. 

It’s distracting and makes the audience pick up on all the subtle nervous energy and cues you give off. Control the frame instead and act cool and confident: they will buy into it.

Another great way to hold frame control over an audience is by using the power of silence .

The Silence Opener

Silence is a valuable commodity in today’s noisy and distracting digital world.

Creating silence at the beginning of your talk can profoundly affect your audience and their focus.

Did you ever have a teacher at school who used silence effectively?

When my English classmates were noisy, our teacher Mr Rylance would hold up his hand in silence. 

Slowly we would settle down and focus on his raised hand. 

A few would giggle, but that would peter out until we all wrapt in a hypnotic stillness.

If you want to see an example of how to use silence, then look at Neal Glitterman’s speech The Power of Silence .

You can see how much gravity silence can have , especially as a speech opener.

The final killer opener I want to introduce you to is the big promise opener.

The Big Promise Opener

I believe that all speeches and presentations should contain a big promise as it tells your audience why they should keep on listening.

Ideally, your big promise will be your speech title or phrase that pays which is a recurring foundational phrase you will use throughout your presentation.

A big promise is your way of making a deal with the audience : you listen to me, and you’ll get something in return.

Creating a big promise at the beginning of your speech is like adding a teaser trailer to the beginning of a TV show. It suggests a reason you should stick around.

When Arthur Benjamin introduces his talk Faster than a calculator by announcing:

 “I am a human calculator!”

You know that proof is on the way.

Remember the essential rule of the Big Promise Opener: make it big and keep your promise.

WOW your audience with these killer speech openers.

I hope you feel that I kept my promise of sharing nine killer speech openers to start a presentation.

Did you notice any other speech openers at the beginning of this article?

Don’t forget; these openers can be mixed and matched.

You can include a number of these speech openers in the same presentation to create more impact.

Let me know which of these killer openers was your favourite, and let me know if you have any more you’d like to share.

– Danny Riley

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Curated For You

Related content, 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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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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How to Hook Your Audience with An Effective Opening

Want to grab your presentation audience's attention immediately? Here's how to hook your audience with an effective opening.

"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" to speak about—or oratorical 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.

Interested in the best presentation tips?  Discover  101 tips for great public speaking!   Get my Public Speaking Handbook,  How to Give a Speech .  Click on image below for more.

So, how are you doing in this department? 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 very 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 during that week. So you need to let them know right away that you're the speaker who is going to be interesting.

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

Once engaged, listeners will stay with you. As long, that is, as the body of your speech lives up to the expectation you've created in your opening. But it's that hook that gets everything started.

An Effective vs. Ineffective Opening

To grasp the difference between an opening that hooks your listeners, and one that lets them get 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."

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

Is this starting to sound like a formula for speaking success? It is! To learn more, download my Free resource , "How to Start a Speech: 12 Foolproof Ways to Grab Your Audience." 

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.

Want to improve your "audience connecting" skills to start out with a bang? Download my Free resource , "How to Begin a Presentation: The Critical First 60 Seconds."

You Can Be Creative, Can't You?

So how can you make the Big Bang happen in your own speeches and presentations? Here are  four key elements of a successful speech hook, along with examples. Remember, a hook should occur as early in your speech as possible. 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." Humor delivered well is always a winner. Equally successful is an opening that has special relevance to listeners. 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 groaned inwardly because a speaker began, "My topic today is . . . "? How differently we react to an opening that's original! That's the speaker would will delight rather than bore us. Someone who knows how to do that is Gavin Pretor-Pinney in his TED Talk. He starts out: "Clouds ... have you ever noticed how much people moan about them?" If I mention the talk is titled "Cloudy with a Chance of Joy," you'll understand his surprising yet logical choice for his 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." (I bet that opening surprised his listeners, too.)

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

Remember, your topic is 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."

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."

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 .  

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 hook an audience , how to organize a speech , how to start a presentation , speech hooks , speech grabbers , how to begin a speech , speech introduction examples , hook , opening , effective opening , how to capture an audience's attention , effective speech openings , grabber , how to grab your audience , how to get your audience's attention , how to capture people's attention , speech opening , speech openings , great speech openings

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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.

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 !

• 7 Irresistible Public Speaking Hooks
• Content Strategies >>

Waiting for my audience to arrive

If you don’t have hooks strategically sprinkled throughout your speech, chances are your audience will bail mentally if not physically.

You have to find ways to keep hooking your audience in so THEY don’t want to let go.

7 Irresistible Hooks

Below you’ll find 7 irresistible hooks (in no particular order) that get your audience to say, “Please tell me more” or “What happened next?!”

Hook #1: Curiosity Hook

“After 15 years of trial and error, research, and blood, sweat, and tears, I’ve finally found out what makes the difference between a good presenter and a great one. It’s…”

That’s an example of a curiosity hook. You find ways to make your long road lead to their shortcut . However, you don’t tell them what they want to know…at least not immediately. Make them curious, tease them a little more, and then give them the tool (or solution, answer, or formula, etc.).

Hook #2 – The Attainment Hook

Listen to how I use the Attainment Hook in this audio.  

The Attainment Hook is just how it sounds. You simply let the audience know what they can attain if they pay attention to what’s coming next. Think “results-based.” I mention that they’ll be able to make a deeper connection than they ever have before. That’s certainly something they want, but I make sure to tease them before I tell them . Don’t give it up too soon. Make them wait for it and really want it.

Hook #3 – The Avoidance Hook

Here’s an example of an Avoidance Hook. I tell a story about a speech I gave in Michigan when I failed miserably to the point where the meeting planner couldn’t even look me in the eyes. Then I say to my audience of speakers, “This is something you should not have to go through and you won’t if you listen closely.”

The Avoidance Hook focuses on something your audience wants to avoid. It’s important to use this type of hook because sometimes people are motivated by what they want to avoid more than they are by what they want to attain.

Hook #4 The “Most People” Hook

Listen to the following example of me using the “Most People” Hook.

When speaking, always keep this in mind:

“Most people don’t want to be most people”

When I used to watch the master presenters, I realized many of them made statements like, “Most people do this…” or “Most people do that…” Whenever I heard those statements, I’d say to myself, “Well, I’m NOT going to be like most people. I don’t want to be average. I want to be something different.”

That’s the effect the words “most people” have on people. For example, when I say, “Most people live their lives on get-set,” I know my audience is thinking, “That WON’T be me! Not anymore.”

Because “most people” are two very persuasive words in the English language, my audience members get motivated to “go” rather than live on “get-set.”

Hook #5 – The Conflict Hook

Good stories have a conflict this is established early . Great stories not only establish the conflict, they also escalate it. Think about the Titanic. One of the conflicts was when the Titanic hit the iceberg. However, the escalation of the conflict was when the water rose on the Titanic. If the water never rose on the Titanic, then that would have been a terrible movie. Always think, “How can I raise the water on the Titanic in my story?”

The conflict is the hook because your audience wants to see how you will overcome it and what tools you will use. Why? Because maybe they can use similar tools for similar situations. In that way, your speech has become very useful to them.

Hook #6 The Silence Hook

I tell a story about how excited I was to meet my speaking hero. The only problem was, when I approached him, he said nothing back to me. That silence in the story becomes a hook because my audience is hungry to hear what he is going to say and then, when he doesn’t say anything, they’re ever hungrier to see what I’m going to do about it. The silent moment becomes the hook.

The problem with some speakers is they rush through the silence thereby making the potential hook much less effective. Take your time, dance in the silence, and watch your audience move to the edge of their seats. Remember…

You can’t rush and resonate”

Hook #7 The Statement Hook

One of the first stories I ever told as a speaker started out like this:

“Nobody has ever died from a snakebite.”

My audience wonders, “What’s he talking about? People get bitten all the time and I’m sure some of them have died.”

I then go on to tell them it’s not the bite, it’s the venom that kills them.

The key is that the first statement hooks them in to want to know more. The rest of the story clears it up and answers their questions.

When all of your hooks are done, your speech is over whether you know it or not.

Final Words on Hooks

As you can see, it’s important not only to have hooks at the beginning and end of your speeches, but to sprinkle them throughout. Oh, wait a minute! There is an 8 th hook and it’s more powerful than the other 7 combined. It’s…

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15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “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. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. 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 that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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9 Killer Ways to Start a Speech: Hooks & Attention Getter Examples

Public speaking might be nerve-wracking. Apart from preparing the information itself and making an outline, you also need to structure it so it won’t get boring and will catch your audience’s attention.

The presentation of your information is as important as the information itself. So, to grab your audience’s attention, you should start with a catchy hook. The hook is the only possibility to make your listener interested in what you say, so do not start with a simple greeting and a self-introduction.

In this article, you’ll find nine attention getters for speeches based on the top TED Talks . You’ll learn how to write good hooks for speeches. You’ll also find the six worst speech introductions to avoid. Let’s get started!

• 🙋 Talk about Yourself
• 📰 Tell a Story
• ❔ Ask a Question
• 💪 Make a Statement
• 📊 Provide Statistics
• 😅 Use Humor
• 🖖 Be Interactive
• 🤯 Shock the Audience
• 🌈 Use a Metaphor

✅ Attention Getter Examples

• ❌ 6 Worst Ways to Start a Speech

🙋 1. Talk about Yourself

One of the good ways to make your audience interested in you is to be honest and sincere . Telling your listener about yourself can make them relate to your more. Share your experience with them.

Here’s a speech by Elizabeth Gilbert , the author of Eat, Play, Love , where she chooses to talk about herself at the beginning of her speech. She is talking about her passion which is writing. She made her performance enjoyable to listen to by making a connection to the audience this way.

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius

📰 2. Tell a Story

Telling a story is also one of the good hooks for speeches. You can make your audience resonate with you or relate to you by telling a sincere story. If you let your reader know more about you by talking about your experience, they will pay attention to what you say.

The following is a speech by Bill Gates , where he used a story from his childhood as an attention grabber. In this speech, he talks about his fear of nuclear war and how his family would hide in the barrel in case of attack.

Bill Gates: The next outbreak? We’re not ready

Next speech is by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie , a famous Nigerian author. She also uses a story as an opener for her presentation. Her story is about how she learned how to read at a very young age

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story

❔ 3. Ask a Question

Asking your audience a question is also one of the best strategies to begin your performance. By asking a question, you can make your listener involved and set the directions for their thoughts.

In the following speech, Simon Sinek asks the audience an exciting question that immediately grabs their attention: How do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

💪 4. Make a Strong Statement

Another option is to grab your audience’s attention by making a strong statement. A solid, exciting statement can make your listeners engaged and persuade them to listen to you. Usually, a strong opening statement is followed by a question too.

You can take a look at the speech by Julian Treasure , a leading TED speaker. He makes an interesting statement about the human’s voice, comparing it to some instrument. Later, he asks his audience a question to make them think about his topic.

Julian Treasure: How to speak so that people want to listen

📊 5. Provide Impressive Statistics

Impressive statistics might also be one of the attention-getters for speeches. Think of a statistic that impressed you when you first came across it. Then, try to avoid using simple numbers. Instead, you can compare the numbers with something else. For example, instead of saying that you spend 8 hours online a day, you can say that you spend a whole working day online.

It is crucial to choose a statistic that would be interesting to both a speaker and the audience .

The following is a speech by Robert Waldinger , a Harvard professor of psychiatry, about happiness. He begins his speech by stating the results of a survey. In that survey, millennials were asked about their life goals.

Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness

😅 6. Use Humor

Humor is another good way to catch the attention. Although your speech might be about a serious and formal topic, you can say something funny in the beginning. However, it would be best to be extremely careful because your joke might be offensive to someone. So, try to make a joke on a neutral topic .

Here’s a speech by Pamela Meyer on how to spot a liar. She begins her speech by making a joke about how everyone is a liar. Her joke is engaging and makes the audience curious about what else she has to say.

Pamela Meyer: How to spot a liar

🖖 7. Be Interactive

What can be more engaging than actually asking your audience to do something? Your audience will pay all their attention to you if you make them interact with you. You can ask your listeners to raise their hands by asking a question.

The following speech is by Kelly McGonigal , a psychologist and Stanford lecturer, on how to make stress your friend. At the beginning of her speech, Kelly asks her audience to raise their hands if they experienced stress during the past year.

Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend

The following speech is by Celeste Headlee on ten ways to have a better conversation. In her speech, she asks her audience to raise their hands if they have unfriended someone because of an offensive conversation topic.

Celeste Headlee: 10 ways to have a better conversation

🤯 8. Shock the Audience

Some people use the method of shocking their audience to catch their attention. You can do something your listeners do not expect . For example, you can say goodbye at the beginning of your speech or change your clothes. These actions will catch everyone’s attention, but they will only work if the topic is suitable.

In this TED Talk on how schools kill creativity by Sir Ken Robinson , he makes an unexpected move by saying that he is leaving right after saying hello to his audience.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

The following speech is by Cameron Russell on how appearance is not everything. She changed her clothes on the stage as she was opening her speech.

Cameron Russell: Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.

🌈 9. Use a Colorful Comparison

If you are still wondering how to start a speech, a colorful comparison might be a good option. You can use a metaphor , symbol , or another figure of speechto deliver your thought in a catchy way.

Here is a speech by Dan Gilbert on the science of happiness. In his hook, he compares two perspectives on two million years. By making this comparison, he can control the audience’s thoughts, making them think about his words.

Dan Gilbert: The surprising science of happiness

In the following section, you’ll find the best attention grabber examples for speeches. Our examples will help you effectively get your audience’s attention and conduct a great presentation.

Attention-Getter Examples for Self-Introduction Speech

Wondering how to create a good hook for a speech about yourself ? Then you’re at the right place. Here are some hook ideas that proved to be effective:

Attention Getter for Persuasive Speech Examples

In crafting a persuasive speech , it’s essential to captivate your audience from the very beginning. A well-crafted hook can pique their interest and draw them in, setting the stage for a compelling and impactful message. Here are a few examples of persuasive hooks:

Attention Grabber Examples for Presentation

Are you struggling to find the perfect attention getter for an informative speech ? Look no further! In this section, we’ll explore some powerful hook examples that will captivate your audience right from the start and make your presentation unforgettable.

Funny Attention Getters for Speeches Examples

Are you tired of starting your speeches with the same old dull hooks? Well, get ready to add some humor and excitement to your next presentation with these funny attention-getters for speeches.

❌ Bonus: the 6 Worst Ways to Start a Speech

As we have learned different attention-getting techniques, let’s take a look at a list of things to avoid while starting a speech.

We hope the tips above will help you get ready for your performance. If you haven’t yet decided what topic to choose for your speech, feel free to use our generator to get ideas. The tool is able to make topics not only for essays, but also for speeches.

❓ How to Start a Speech: FAQ

How to start a speech for school.

To start an in-class speech for students, you can talk about yourself or tell a personal story. By telling your audience a story about yourself, you can engage them. An engaged audience pays attention to what you say. Another way is to start your speech with a quote. You can also search for some samples to gain inspiration.

How to start an informative speech?

To start off an informative speech, you should have a catchy hook. You can try asking your audience a question or sharing your experience. After you are done with an attention grabber, you can state your thesis and move to your main points.

How to start a persuasive speech?

Start your persuasive speech with a catchy hook. You may use a quote, a joke, a story, or any other attention grabbers. A good option is to make a question to make your audience think about your topic. If you have enough information, you can also show an impressive statistic related to your topic.

How to start a motivational speech?

You can start your motivational speech by asking your audience a question or asking them to do something. It can engage them and make them interested in what you are trying to say. Another option to engage your audience is to create a joke or to tell a story about yourself.

🔗 References

• How to Prepare for Public Speaking
• 10 Strategies to Prepare for Speaking Engagements
• Preparing Speeches – University of Hawaii System
• 15 Ways to Start a Speech + Bonus Tips | Brian Tracy
• Speeches – UNC Writing Center
• 12 Ways to Hook an Audience in 30 Seconds

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• Business strategy |
• 15 creative elevator pitch examples for ...

15 creative elevator pitch examples for every scenario

A good elevator pitch can be the difference between landing your next big opportunity or falling short of the competition. But the reality is, people want to have meaningful conversations without the forced sales pitch. So how do you pitch yourself during a job interview or client meeting with authenticity? 

First things first: What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch, also known as an elevator speech, is an opportunity to share a quick summary of yourself and your product offerings. But a pitch can also be your chance at making a real connection that you can use later down the road. It’s not always an immediate benefit, but you should be prepared for any scenario in which you could be giving an elevator pitch. 

In reality, most people have given an elevator pitch whether they realize it or not. That’s because there are many different types of pitches—from interviews to new business opportunities. That makes preparing for your next pitch an important step in marketing both yourself and your company. 

When it comes to figuring out who to deliver your pitch to, you should aim for the best point of contact, not just the highest point of contact. Choosing connections that are related to or interested in what you’re offering will give you a better chance at making your sale. 

How long should an elevator pitch be?

One of the biggest unknowns about creating sample elevator pitches is how long they should be. In most cases, it will depend on what it’s about and who you’re pitching. A good rule of business etiquette is to make it as short as possible by carefully selecting the most important points. 

A study conducted by Microsoft found that the average person has an attention span of around eight seconds, meaning you’ll have to fight for that undivided attention. That’s no small task. So when it comes to a great elevator pitch, aim to keep it around 30 seconds—though the exact length can vary depending on your industry and what you’re pitching. 

When looking at pitch length based on industry, each one differs to some degree. Let’s take marketing for example. Your pitch opportunities will likely be to customers that come across your brand. And in that case, you have very little time to get your message across—whether it’s text, video, or imagery. But when it comes to sales, you may get the opportunity to expand your elevator pitch past 30 seconds. You will likely have plenty of networking opportunities where people are more than willing to listen to what you have to say. It really just depends on your medium and the audience’s eagerness to listen. 

But what if you can’t cut your elevator pitch down to 30 seconds? It may seem like your brand is too complicated to distill down to such a short timeframe, but if you’re pitching to the right audience you shouldn’t have that problem. Make sure you pitch to people related to your industry or a tangential audience that will be able to interpret your offerings. 

How to write an elevator pitch 

When it comes to writing an elevator pitch, it can be hard to decipher important facts from unimportant ones—this is why knowing how to effectively communicate in the workplace is important in the first place. For example, while it’s good to personalize your communication tactics wherever possible, it’s not necessary to give prospects an entire history lesson on your business. Only the most recent and relevant details should be included. To get started creating your own pitch, you first need to understand the basic components that make up any good elevator pitch.

Introduce yourself

All good pitches start with a short introduction. It could be as simple as stating your name and who you work for if those details apply. But the more personal you can make it, the more natural your elevator pitch will seem. Body language is also an important part of a solid introduction, as is eye contact. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when introducing yourself to a new prospect. 

Greet your audience in a way that’s appropriate for the occasion. Go formal for a business pitch or more casual for a fun event. With business meetings and networking events being held virtually, you’ll need to get creative with your introductions over video chat. You could even start with a lighthearted joke to break the ice. But whatever you do, make sure it’s relevant to your audience. 

Present the problem

All solutions start with a problem. Whatever you or your business is trying to solve, it’s important to get the point across early on in your elevator pitch to set the theme for the rest of your speech. An example problem: coordinating work between teams is chaotic.  

If possible, relate the problem back to your audience by using real-world examples. This will help make the problem more relevant and, hopefully, grab your audience’s attention. If your problem isn’t easy to explain, try using more than one example or a visual to really paint a picture for your audience. 

Offer the solution

If the problem is what draws the audience in, then the solution is what hooks them. This is your time to show them why they need your help. Here’s an example solution: Asana gives teams a system to organize and manage work so they know what to do, why it matters, and how to get it done.

The solution is arguably the most important part of an elevator pitch, so spend time perfecting it. If you’re pitching for a business, it’s likely the quick solution pitch has already been created. But again, it’s always better to personalize your pitch. So don’t be afraid to tweak it to fit your audience. If pitching for yourself, talk about the unique skills you’ve developed and why they would be beneficial to your prospect. 

Explain your value proposition

Now that you’ve piqued your audience’s attention, it’s time to seal the deal by explaining why your solution is better than anyone else's. An example value proposition is: Asana is the only platform that connects goals with the work needed to achieve them. 

The value proposition differs from the solution by focusing on why your audience should use your solution over a competitor’s. If you don’t have that answer just yet, perform a competitive analysis to compare your offerings or look to your executive summary. 

If your market is extremely niche and you don’t have a clear differentiator or significant competition, look to communication and interface capabilities. Consider why your idea or solution is original enough that someone would want to use it.   

Engage the audience

While most of the hard work is done, it’s important to engage your audience with a compliment or question before you part ways. Always err on the side of being genuine rather than delivering a scripted goodbye. 

There is no right or wrong way to engage your audience. While ending with a question can create a dialogue between you and your audience, a genuine compliment can go a long way. Think about what made you want to pitch them in the first place and use that to end the conversation. Lastly, don’t forget to swap contact information, such as a business card, if you don’t already have it. 

A foolproof elevator pitch template

Now that you know the basic components of a pitch, the next step is creating your very own elevator pitch. This template can work for just about any situation, from a job interview to pitching a small business or startup. That’s because we analyzed some of the most famous templates from industry experts—from Harvard research to Guy Kawasaki’s art of pitching—to create a foolproof template that will work in any situation. 

Plug your information into our elevator pitch template to draft a quick speech. While you won’t necessarily recite it word for word, it’s a great model to keep in mind in case you find yourself in a position where you’re not prepared with a personalized pitch.

Whether you’re looking for a pitch template for a job interview or for pitching your business, this template is a foolproof example for any situation you might find yourself in. 

General elevator pitch template

Use our elevator pitch template to start constructing your speech by adding statistics and personalized greetings where needed. This template incorporates the four parts explained above to hit all of the important details of a good elevator pitch. 

Introduction : “Hi I’m [name], a [position title] at [company name]. It’s great to meet you!”

Problem : “Since you work with [company name or industry] I figured you’d be interested to know that [problem + interesting statistic].”

Solution : “The great part about working at [your company’s name] is that we’ve been able to fix just that problem by [solution].”

Value proposition : “In fact, we’re the only company that offers [value proposition].”

CTA : “I think our solution could really help you. Are you available this week to speak further on this?”

Don’t be afraid to change up your pitch template based on your personality and professional expertise. We’ve also included personalized 30-second elevator pitch examples below to inspire personal facts you can add to create a more engaging speech .

30-second elevator pitch examples

Let’s dive into the best 30-second elevator pitch examples to help you create a pitch that’s both engaging and informative. Our examples take inspiration from the four elements included in the template above, to demonstrate how you'd pitch project management software to  increase productivity . Try a few or try them all to find one that best fits your personality and value proposition. 

Example 1: Short and sweet

This example is one of the most common you’ll come across. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best, but it’s a great example of a quick and easy pitch that fits almost any situation. When working on this type of elevator pitch, be sure to keep it as short and to the point as possible. Try to stick closely to the 30 seconds or less rule since the point is to be brief and transparent.

The problem is that work is chaotic no matter what industry you’re in or how good you are at your job. But a good project management software can help improve productivity and communication. I haven’t missed a deadline in years. If you’re interested in how it can help your team, give me a call and I can take you through some numbers. 

Example 2: Relatable over reliable

Sometimes the best way to grab your audience’s attention is to reel them in with a personal anecdote they’ll relate to. While it’s still important to drive home your solution, this approach puts more weight on making a personal connection rather than an immediate sale. 

It’s so great to finally meet you. How is business going? I heard you’ve been struggling with communication issues. My team and I struggled with that too. It wasn’t until we added project management software into our routine that we really saw an improvement in teamwork and overall communication. I hope you find a solution that works for your team. 

Example 3: Savvy with stats

Start your pitch off with a hook by dropping an attention-grabbing statistic. It’s important to have hard data to back up your statistics to ensure their accuracy before pitching. When it comes to a statistics pitch, it’s a good idea to come full circle at the end and connect how your solution can help solve that statistic.  

Did you know that despite having more ways to connect remotely, 60% of workers’ time is spent on work coordination with just 26% spent on skilled work and 14% on strategy? No wonder teams need help with project management. Implementing project management tools can decrease time spent on work coordination and help increase skilled work.

Example 4: Question everything

This example uses questions to make your pitch easily comprehensible. It also forces the audience to join in on the conversation rather than just presenting them with a speech. Try starting and ending with a question that makes the audience think about your pitch long after you leave the room.

Do you ever feel like you spend too much time on work about work? I’ve talked to so many people who share the same frustrations. I used to work long hours every day just trying to catch up. But do you know what? Ever since we started using project management software, I've been able to get so much more work done. Have you tried anything similar in the past?

Example 5: Comedic twist

If your pitch isn’t about a serious topic, you can add comedic twists to engage the audience. This is especially useful if giving a presentation. Add a GIF or quick funny clip in between slides to lighten the mood. If using this example, be sure it fits the occasion and tone of your company. 

Did you know that the average person can only pay attention for eight seconds? That’s not even long enough to place my coffee order in the morning. Maybe that’s why my barista always gets it wrong. But seriously, I think that’s why so many companies struggle to hit deadlines. 

Example 6: Tell a story

Use customer testimonials or your own personal story to paint a picture for the audience. This can be especially helpful if your topic is hard to explain in 30 seconds or less. Telling a story is a great way to add a relatable twist. 

We have a customer that transitioned to a fully remote workforce this year and needed help making sure deadlines were met. With our help, they were able to get up to 10% of their time back in their day and focus on more important things like strategic planning.  

Example 7: Emotionally driven

While this type of pitch may be more difficult to create, you have a better chance of winning over your audience if you can make your pitch emotionally driven. It’s also more likely they’ll be willing to share the experience with someone else down the road. It’s important to keep the emotions on the lighter side to prevent the conversation from steering too dark. Here is an example to inspire your own speech. 

It may seem like any other tool, but when you look closely it really is helping teams connect. And not just that, but it’s helping cultivate teams that actually enjoy working together on new projects. That’s something that’s hard to come by, but something everyone is looking for.  

Example 8: Write it first

While most speeches start by writing a general outline, you can opt to write the entire pitch from start to finish. This tends to create a thought-provoking and poetic flow once you do present your pitch. You’ll have to memorize this pitch, so practicing is a key element to this strategy. 

Hi, my name is Kelly! It’s great to meet you. You work for Apollo Enterprises, right? I’ve heard a lot about them. I actually heard that you’re looking for project management help. In my experience, any organization—whether sales or suppliers—needs help coordinating work and team communication. Work can be rather chaotic, especially now, without it. That’s why we’ve created a software tool that helps both individuals and teams organize their projects and communications all in one place. Have you ever thought about using something similar?

Example 9: End with a one-liner

Making a grand exit doesn’t come easily, but if you can pull it off your audience is sure to be impressed. Stay away from cliche one-liners and make your closing authentic to you. The point here is to leave them with a thought that they’ll remember after the meeting is over. Consider sharing a surprising statistic or question relevant to their business.

Over one-quarter (26%) of all deadlines are missed each week because of a lack of clarity. But with the right project management tools, that number could be much lower. So the question is, can your business afford not to use project management software? 

Elevator pitch examples by scenario

Now that we’ve covered the types of pitch examples, let’s dive into example elevator pitches for different scenarios. Whether you’re pitching for your business or yourself, you can use an elevator pitch to organize your thoughts and prepare for the real deal. Let’s look at key tips for any situation you may find yourself in. 

Example 10: Networking event

A networking event is probably the most common scenario you’ll run into. And with the new virtual-first culture, it may be even more challenging to make meaningful connections over video chat. That’s why it’s so important to prepare an elevator pitch that’s compelling no matter where you’re pitching it from. While most salespeople pitch casually in this environment, you may get the opportunity to meet an important executive. In which case, you’ll want to be prepared with a versatile pitch template. 

Great to meet you, I’m Kelly with Apollo Enterprises. We’ve been able to improve productivity and collaboration for teams all over the world. If you ever need help with project management, just reach out. I think we could make a huge impact on your company. I’ll make sure to keep your contact information handy as well. 

Example 11: Job interview

Looking for a new job or have career fairs coming up? Most interviews—whether with human resources, a recruiter, or a hiring manager—start with some form of the phrase, “Tell me about yourself.” This is an opportunity for job seekers to briefly explain themselves and their professional experience using industry buzzwords and key skills. Having an elevator pitch ready can ensure that you’re prepared when the opportunity presents itself. 

I’m Kelly, a specialist at Apollo Enterprises. I chose a career in project management because I had a passion for it, and now I can proudly say that I’ve been able to make a real difference in people’s lives. That’s why I’m looking to continue my career with an employer who shares those same values. I know my unique skills can make a big impact at your company because I’ve proven my results with a few key projects. 

Example 12: Formal meeting

You’ve landed the meeting, congratulations! Now is the time to create a formal elevator pitch to really get them interested. When presenting a formal pitch, a presentation can be a great addition to traditional elevator speech examples. But whether or not you choose to create a presentation, this meeting is about selling your product in the most professional way possible. So dress the part and don’t forget your unique selling proposition. 

I took a look at your current productivity figures and noticed an opportunity for improvement. With our project management software, you could get back up to 10% more of your workday. Not only would that mean more work getting done, but it would also have a positive impact on the overall success of your business. Not to mention, our tool is the only one in the industry that has goal capabilities to ensure teams stay on track. 

Example 13: Sales pitch 

Professionals often pitch traditional sales jargon, but the real key is creating a human connection while lightly sprinkling in what you’re selling. Start with a personal story or light-hearted introduction instead of the typical sales presentation. You can also prepare by creating sales team goal templates to ensure your team is on the same page. 

Our team really struggled to transition to a remote workforce. Communication wasn’t organized and people struggled to find the correct information to complete projects. But, thankfully, we found a solution to our problem. Implementing project management tools not only improved productivity but also improved overall teamwork. Every company prefers different tools, but I can say without a doubt that our software was the best at connecting goals with the work needed to achieve them. 

Example 14: Social introduction

Now, more than ever, professionals are choosing to meet virtually rather than face-to-face. Whether you’re chatting over LinkedIn or have a virtual meeting set up, it’s important to make your pitch personal and use clear visuals to help sell your point. Here’s a great example of a social media pitch. 

Thanks for connecting! I noticed that your competitors are outperforming you when it comes to year-over-year growth. I took the liberty of doing a competitive analysis and didn’t find any outlying problems. I’m wondering if it could be an issue with productivity. How has the transition to remote work been? If you’re interested, I could run you through some productivity figures if you were to add project management tools to your current processes. 

Example 15: Entrepreneurs and business owners

Pitching to a business owner is much different than pitching to an executive. They can be harder to sell because they are often hesitant about new investments. The most important tip is to use examples as they pertain to the business when explaining a problem and solution.  

I love your products at Apollo Enterprises. I’m a huge proponent of your mission. I did realize that there may be some opportunities to improve productivity and collaboration internally. Have you ever considered project management software? I think it could have a big impact on business growth now or even down the road. 

4 tips to perfect your elevator pitch

In addition to creating the perfect elevator pitch, you should also work on sprucing up your delivery. There’s nothing worse than sitting through a boring speech, so make sure yours is anything but. From posture to tone, there’s a lot you can practice to make sure you look professional and knowledgeable. Consider these four tips when trying to nail a successful elevator pitch. 

1. Stick to your outline

To prevent getting off-topic, it’s important to stick to your outline at least to some extent. While you don’t need to recite it word for word, it’s best to memorize the majority of your pitch. That way you won’t need to worry about checking your notes. 

2. Speak slowly and clearly

Many professionals tend to talk quickly when they’re nervous—hey, we’re only human. But it’s important to enunciate and speak slowly so the audience can understand you. This is especially important when presenting over video chat. But try not to slow yourself down too much or you’ll go over your allotted time. 

3. Record your pitch

Record yourself reciting the pitch to work on any areas that need improvement. Practice your pitch a handful of times by playing the recording back and working out any pain points. A couple of key areas to focus on are speed and tone. It’s better to sound overly energized rather than monotone. 

4. Practice, practice, practice!

There’s nothing more effective than practicing your pitch until you’re able to recite it in your sleep. If possible, practice in front of friends and family to get constructive feedback on how you can make your pitch even better. Even if you have years of experience, you can never go wrong with being overly prepared. 

Elevate your first impression with an elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a chance to show off your strengths and pitch your solutions. While it may sound nerve-wracking, using the 15 elevator pitch examples above will help you develop your own method using personal tidbits that tie into your innovative solutions.

While your pitch is an important part of leveling up your business, there are many avenues you can take to achieve growth. One of those ways is by determining whether project management vs. work management tools are right for your team. Not only will they help connect your team members, but the right tools and software can also help your organization set strategic goals. That means more time spent on bigger projects to help your business reach next-level growth. 

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