PRESENTATION 'HOOKS'
These 3 different slides for a presentation all begin with a 'hook'
- an interesting idea that catches the reader's attention immediately.
You should always choose a hook that is directly connected to your topic!
- an interesting idea that catches the reader's attention immediately.
You should always choose a hook that is directly connected to your topic!
Presentation 'hooks' are similar to earworms in music: they seize your audience's attention and stick in the memory. There are different types of 'hooks', and it is necessary to use them appropriately.
1. Ask a question. This is one of the most popular hooks.
But be aware that if you use this type of hook in a presentation, you must expect and elicit an answer!
You must also connect the question and answers to your presentation topic.
What is your favorite icecream flavour?
Do you prefer to order in fried chicken, pizza, or tangsuyok?
Which of these animals would you choose as a pet: miniature poodle, hairless cat, or betta fish?
You can also ask a rhetorical question (a question to which you know there will be a positive answer!)
in order to make your audience agree with you immediately - this works especially well in presentations. You don't need to wait for an actual answer for the audience in this case.
Everyone loves popcorn, right?
Do you ever have trouble getting up in the morning?
Don't you just hate when your pen runs out of ink in the middle of an exam?
2. Set up a problem (so that you can offer a solution).
This is a good structure for a persuasive essay, and it works just as well for a presentation - especially a product pitch!
Convince your audience that there is a problem that needs to be addressed, and they will be more likely
to listen to your solution, change their opinion, or buy your product.
If you can't keep track of your homework, our new scheduler will help.
Many students struggle with dry skin in the winter. Flaking, cracking, and itching are common issues of under-moisturizing!
Sealife and the marine environment are in serious danger because of our dependence upon single-use plastics.
3. Use a quote. You can quote a famous person, a popular proverb, or an interesting thought from literature. This gets your audience thinking about what you are saying right at the beginning of your talk.
“The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight, but no vision.” - Helen Keller
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. So why do we often risk what we have in order to get more?"
“It is much better to do good in such a way that no one knows about it.” - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
4. Use humour! A joke creates positive emotions and makes your audience feel more friendly toward you.
Chocolate comes from cocoa, which is a plant, and plants are vegetables. Therefore, chocolate is a vegetable!
Yesterday I got an extra hour of sleep. Unfortunately, it was during my first period class.
Q: What is the biggest bean in the world? A: 킹콩! (king kong)
5. Start with a picture. Either an actual striking image, or a story or description that 'sets the scene', can really involve your audience. You can use a great picture and explain how it's relevant. It also works well to tell a story without a specific image; using their imagination to follow along boosts memory and retention.
Last Christmas I was sitting in a coffee shop, sipping a hot chocolate, with fairy lights twinkling above my head.
The little black kitten sitting forlornly in her cage is much less likely to be adopted than her cute orange brother,
all because of superstition.
Grace House makes the most delectable hamburgers I've ever had; smoky, juicy, meaty, full of flavour, and generously sized.
6. Start with a peculiar fact. An interesting or unusual piece of information connected to your topic usually makes your audience eager to know more.
Most people do not include smells or tastes in their dreams; in fact, some do not even dream in colour!
There is an Indian village named “Piplantri”, which celebrates the birth of every girl child by planting 111 trees.
Video games are actually addictive, as winning a level releases dopamine, a chemical 'feel-good' substance.
7. Impress with statistics. Use data that is directly related to your topic to intrigue your audience. People also like to know whether they are part of the norm or unusual.
More than half of grocery shoppers will buy a product if they can taste or sample it first.
20% of Millennials would prefer self-checkout rather than interacting with a sales person.
85% of people rely on Twitter and Facebook for their morning news.
8. Reveal a misconception. Rebuttals of 'things everyone knows' can provoke emotion, either agreement or disagreement, and emotion connects your audience and motivates them to listen further.
There is no such thing as an “Alpha” in a wolf pack. Wolf packs operate more like human families, with the parents in charge!
You may think that going out in the winter with wet hair will make you 'catch cold', but in fact, colds are transmitted through viral contact.
Despite the numerous studies, there is little evidence that security cameras directly reduce crime rates.
Text based on information from https://pro-papers.com/blog/ultimate-guide-writing-great-hooks-essays
1. Ask a question. This is one of the most popular hooks.
But be aware that if you use this type of hook in a presentation, you must expect and elicit an answer!
You must also connect the question and answers to your presentation topic.
What is your favorite icecream flavour?
Do you prefer to order in fried chicken, pizza, or tangsuyok?
Which of these animals would you choose as a pet: miniature poodle, hairless cat, or betta fish?
You can also ask a rhetorical question (a question to which you know there will be a positive answer!)
in order to make your audience agree with you immediately - this works especially well in presentations. You don't need to wait for an actual answer for the audience in this case.
Everyone loves popcorn, right?
Do you ever have trouble getting up in the morning?
Don't you just hate when your pen runs out of ink in the middle of an exam?
2. Set up a problem (so that you can offer a solution).
This is a good structure for a persuasive essay, and it works just as well for a presentation - especially a product pitch!
Convince your audience that there is a problem that needs to be addressed, and they will be more likely
to listen to your solution, change their opinion, or buy your product.
If you can't keep track of your homework, our new scheduler will help.
Many students struggle with dry skin in the winter. Flaking, cracking, and itching are common issues of under-moisturizing!
Sealife and the marine environment are in serious danger because of our dependence upon single-use plastics.
3. Use a quote. You can quote a famous person, a popular proverb, or an interesting thought from literature. This gets your audience thinking about what you are saying right at the beginning of your talk.
“The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight, but no vision.” - Helen Keller
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. So why do we often risk what we have in order to get more?"
“It is much better to do good in such a way that no one knows about it.” - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
4. Use humour! A joke creates positive emotions and makes your audience feel more friendly toward you.
Chocolate comes from cocoa, which is a plant, and plants are vegetables. Therefore, chocolate is a vegetable!
Yesterday I got an extra hour of sleep. Unfortunately, it was during my first period class.
Q: What is the biggest bean in the world? A: 킹콩! (king kong)
5. Start with a picture. Either an actual striking image, or a story or description that 'sets the scene', can really involve your audience. You can use a great picture and explain how it's relevant. It also works well to tell a story without a specific image; using their imagination to follow along boosts memory and retention.
Last Christmas I was sitting in a coffee shop, sipping a hot chocolate, with fairy lights twinkling above my head.
The little black kitten sitting forlornly in her cage is much less likely to be adopted than her cute orange brother,
all because of superstition.
Grace House makes the most delectable hamburgers I've ever had; smoky, juicy, meaty, full of flavour, and generously sized.
6. Start with a peculiar fact. An interesting or unusual piece of information connected to your topic usually makes your audience eager to know more.
Most people do not include smells or tastes in their dreams; in fact, some do not even dream in colour!
There is an Indian village named “Piplantri”, which celebrates the birth of every girl child by planting 111 trees.
Video games are actually addictive, as winning a level releases dopamine, a chemical 'feel-good' substance.
7. Impress with statistics. Use data that is directly related to your topic to intrigue your audience. People also like to know whether they are part of the norm or unusual.
More than half of grocery shoppers will buy a product if they can taste or sample it first.
20% of Millennials would prefer self-checkout rather than interacting with a sales person.
85% of people rely on Twitter and Facebook for their morning news.
8. Reveal a misconception. Rebuttals of 'things everyone knows' can provoke emotion, either agreement or disagreement, and emotion connects your audience and motivates them to listen further.
There is no such thing as an “Alpha” in a wolf pack. Wolf packs operate more like human families, with the parents in charge!
You may think that going out in the winter with wet hair will make you 'catch cold', but in fact, colds are transmitted through viral contact.
Despite the numerous studies, there is little evidence that security cameras directly reduce crime rates.
Text based on information from https://pro-papers.com/blog/ultimate-guide-writing-great-hooks-essays
Let's look at the three different example presentation 'hooks' again. Which type of 'hook' do they use: #1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 7, or 8? See if you can guess before you scroll down to see the answers.
This is #4, 'Humour'. This is #7, 'Statistics'. It could also be # 6 :) This is #1, 'Question'.
Which hook did you think was the most interesting? Which type of hook will you choose to start your PPT?