Presentation hooks

How do you create an attention-grabbing presentation opening?

You can invite the audience into your topic with a brief question, a concrete observation, a relevant example, or a contrast. Make sure your choice connects to your main message; do not add an unrelated story or an unverifiable claim just to seem surprising. Then say what question you will address or what proposal you will examine in the presentation.

The goal is not to explain the entire presentation in the first sentence, but to make a clear transition into the topic. There is no single opening formula that works for every presentation; choose one that suits your topic, audience, and setting.

Make three decisions first

What does the audience already know? For people hearing about the topic for the first time, choose a clear situation or question; do not rely on unexplained terms or references that only a particular group will understand. If you are addressing an audience familiar with the topic, move to the specific question your presentation addresses instead of spending too long on information they already know.

What is your main message? Connect your opening sentence to the idea you want the audience to remember at the end of the presentation. For example, if you are proposing a process improvement, state in your introduction which part of the process you will examine. Do not present a conclusion as settled if you cannot support it in the presentation.

What is the setting like? You can use a direct question in a short, formal meeting; a brief situational example may be more appropriate for a narrative-focused presentation. If you plan to ask the audience a question, prepare a transition sentence in advance that will let you continue even if no one responds.

Choose a hook that fits the topic

• Curiosity-driven question: Ask a specific question that the presentation will address. If you will not answer it right away, explain which part of the presentation will return to it.
• Concrete observation: Share a relevant detail that you can verify. Do not present a figure or event as fact if you cannot check its source.
• Brief example: Describe a situation faced by a person, team, or process. If the example is fictional, say so clearly.
• Contrast: Set two situations related to your topic side by side. For example, ask about the relationship between “more information” and “easier decision-making.” Do not use a contrast if it does not serve your main message.

Introducing a speaker is different from opening your own presentation. The Geneseo resource recommends using a compelling point from a news story about the speaker’s topic or from a previous presentation to engage the audience when introducing a speaker. Rather than treating this recommendation as a rule for every opening, use it as an idea for finding an engaging point that suits your topic: Geneseo, “Speeches of Introduction”.

Worked example: process improvement at a team meeting

Situation: A team will present a proposal to help new employees learn the workflow. The scenario and details below are entirely hypothetical; they do not provide information about a real organization or measurement.

Opening: “If a new teammate had to look for the same task in two different places during their first week, how would you know which step was missing?”

Connection: “In this presentation, I’ll look at where information can become scattered during onboarding and how a proposal for a shared start page could address this problem.”

First-slide draft: The title “Finding information in the first week,” a simple flow showing three separate information sources, and the main question. This is a design suggestion for presentation content, not a claim about the capabilities of any particular software.

In this example, the question invites the audience to think about a familiar situation and connects it to the topic of the presentation. If there is no data showing the effect of the proposed page, do not promise a result such as “it will definitely reduce the time.” Instead, explain what problem the proposal is intended to address and how its effect could be evaluated.

From draft to an opening you can rehearse

First, write your main message in one sentence. Choose a question, observation, example, or contrast related to that message. Read your opening aloud and simplify any words that do not sound natural. If you find the sentence difficult to say comfortably, break it up. In the next sentence, answer “Why does this matter?” and transition to the main section.

UWM’s presentation tips include rehearsing your talk aloud and using slides to support the talk, not as text that takes its place: UWM, “Presentation Tips”. With that in mind, if it suits your presentation, you can use a title and a brief phrase that recalls the main idea on the first slide instead of a long paragraph. The slide content does not have to be exactly the same as your opening sentence.

Instead of writing out your entire opening in your notes, you could try adding brief prompts for the question, main message, and transition. This is a working suggestion to consider based on your presentation style. For details, see the guide to preparing audience handouts for a presentation. If you are thinking of using humor, also consider whether the joke suits the topic and setting: using humor purposefully in a presentation.

Common problems and how to fix them

• The question is too broad: Instead of “What is success?” focus on a specific decision or situation addressed by your presentation.
• The hook is unrelated to the topic: Remove the story if it does not connect to the main message. If you cannot find a transition that makes the connection, choose a different opening.
• The introduction is getting long: Keep necessary introductions or thanks brief; remove repetitions that delay the transition to the topic.
• The basis for a claim is unclear: Check the source of the number, quotation, or event. If you cannot verify it, do not use it, or clearly identify the example as hypothetical.
• No one answers the question: Prepare a sentence that lets you move on without waiting for an answer; for example, “We’ll look at this question together in a moment.”
• The opening explains everything: State the topic and direction; leave the details for the relevant sections.

Final checklist

• Is my first sentence connected to my main message?
• Is my language appropriate for the audience’s knowledge of the topic and the presentation setting?
• Am I clearly distinguishing factual information from hypothetical examples?
• Have I checked the source of any number, quotation, or event I use?
• Is the transition from the opening to the main section clear?
• Do the sentences sound natural when I rehearse them aloud?
• If it suits my presentation, does the first slide support the talk?

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to ask a question in the opening?

No. A question is one option you can use if it serves the purpose of the presentation. Depending on your topic and delivery, a concrete observation, brief example, or contrast may be more suitable.

Can I use a surprising statistic to get attention?

If you do, check its source, what it measures, and how it relates to your presentation. Do not use a statistic you cannot verify or whose context you cannot explain; instead, choose a verifiable observation or a clearly hypothetical example.