Master the art of creating powerful opening hooks that grab your audience's attention in the first 30-45 seconds and set the tone for presentation success.
This is Lesson 7 of The English Farm's Professional English Courses presentation series. Learn how to create powerful opening hooks that capture your audience's attention through our specialized Business English training.
A good hook in a presentation is a brief, powerful opening that immediately grabs your audience’s attention and sets the tone for what’s to come. It should be relevant to your message and designed to make people think, feel, or want to hear more.
Look at the following hooks. Which ones interest you?
- “Hi everyone, thanks for coming. Today I’ll give you an update on how our marketing did in the last quarter.”
- “In Q2, one campaign gave us 70% of our sales, but we only spent 20% of our budget on it. Today, I’ll show you how we can change that and get twice the results next quarter.”
- "Let’s start with a quick look at where the company is right now."
- “Right now, your teams are spending 12 hours a week just matching data across different systems. That’s more than 600 hours a year doing manual work. What if we could cut that in half this quarter?”
Using the same examples, can you come up with ideas on what makes a good or bad hook?
Bad:
- “Hi everyone, thanks for being here. Today I’ll be presenting an update on our Q2 marketing performance.”
- “Let’s begin with a brief overview of the current state of the organization.”
Good:
- “In Q2, one campaign delivered 70% of all conversions—yet it only got 20% of our spend. Today, I’ll show you how we can flip that to double results in Q3.”
- “Right now, your teams are spending 12 hours a week just reconciling data across platforms. That’s more than 600 hours a year—lost to manual work. What if we could cut that in half this quarter?”
This business English exercise helps you understand what grabs attention in professional settings.
A good hook is your short, powerful opening (30–45 seconds) that grabs attention and sets the tone. It should make people think, feel, or want to hear more—and connect directly to your message. These professional English techniques are what top consultants use to command attention from the first moment of their presentations.
- Start with a bold fact or number: Share a surprising metric or trend that shows urgency or opportunity.
- Example: “In the last 6 months, your cost to get new customers went up 27%—and 40% of that spend isn’t bringing results.”
- Template: “In the last [time period], [company/team/market] has [done something surprising], and the impact is [measurable outcome].”
- Mini Task: Pick a recent project metric. Turn it into a one-line attention grabber.
- Show a gap or missed chance: Highlight the space between success and what’s still missing.
- Example: “You have a strong digital presence—but you’re losing millions by not personalizing the customer journey.”
- Template: “You’ve achieved [positive], but you’re still missing [opportunity/threat]—and that gap is growing.”
- Mini Task: What’s something your client is doing well—but could still improve? Turn it into a bold statement.
- Ask a big question: Pose a question that the client needs to answer. Remember, you're going to help them do it.
- Example: “If your competitor launches a loyalty program next quarter, could you match it?”
- Template: “If [rising threat or competitor action] happens, how ready are you to [respond/protect your lead/capture value]?”
- Mini Task: Write a question that challenges your client to think ahead.
- Tell a quick story: Share a short, relevant story to make the point real.
- Example: “A top customer once told us: ‘I love the brand—but I get faster service from your competitor’s chatbot.’ That was big."
- Template: “We spoke with [customer/team member/stakeholder], and they said: ‘[short quote].’ That moment revealed a larger issue.”
- Mini Task: Think of a short story (real or made up) that shows a big problem or chance.
- Promise a clear win: Tell them exactly what they’ll get from your talk. Set clear expectations.
- Example: “In the next 15 minutes, we’ll show you how to gain $22M in new revenue by expanding digital in 2 regions—starting next quarter.”
- Template: “In the next [X minutes], we’ll walk you through how to [achieve key result] by [doing key action].”
- Mini Task: Write one result your project can give—state it as a benefit they’ll hear today.
When you learn professional English at this level, these opening strategies become second nature.
Here's your chance to apply the professional English skills we've covered in a real client scenario. The following is the outline from the previous lesson with a few notes that can be used as hooks. What hooks can you use to catch the audience's attention?
1. Introduction → Move Now, Win Sooner
- Recommendation: Take action this quarter to get ahead of competitors and strengthen your market position.
2. Why Now → The Clock Is Ticking: Competitors Are Already Moving
- Note: Two major competitors started digital test projects last year—they’re already moving forward.
3. Where to Start → Two Regions, One Smart Launchpad
- Recommendation: Begin in two regions that are familiar with digital transformation and have lower costs.
4. What You Gain → $22M on the Table: Here's How We Capture It
- Recommendation: By using personalized ads and connecting all channels, you could make $22 million more in the next 18 months.
5. How You’ll Do It → Ready to Launch: Your Roadmap Is Built
- Note: The plan is made—technology chosen, partners found, resources set, and phase 1 is ready to start.
6. Conclusion → This Isn’t Risky—It’s Ready
- Note: This is a safe investment that can bring fast, clear results.
As you can see, a good hook can be based on a bold insight, a sense of urgency, a provocation or question, a relatable anecdote, or a clear outcome. The same goes for a good reflection. Try and summarise your key learning in the form of one of these hook approaches. This will allow you to consolidate your new learning and relay this to a friend or colleague.
You now have five proven techniques for creating hooks that grab attention from the start. These professional English skills will transform how executives and clients respond to your presentations.