How to Hook Your Audience: Field-Tested Techniques That Work
The 20-Second Rule
“You have 20 seconds to increase my heart rate.”
I read this statement in a document entitled Revealed: The 6 Laws of Successful Pitching by the Archaeus Organisation.
What does this mean?
When entrepreneurs pitch to investors, they have 20 seconds to excite them – to make them want to hear more. If the investor’s heart rate hasn’t increased by the 20-second mark, the entrepreneur isn’t getting the money.
This mantra applies to any presentation opening: quickly hook people to listen.
Practical Hooking Techniques
1. Speak Simple, Declarative Sentences – Example 1
Well suited for boardroom pitches and presentations
Begin with simple declarative sentences that logically build toward your key message. Avoid complex and compound sentences.
Here’s the opening of a pitch by a Medical Devices Business Development Manager to radiologists that won $10,000,000 worth of X-ray equipment:
OPEN
“Thank you for your time. You’ve got an important decision to make. The key message to take away from this presentation is – diagnostic confidence.”
MIDDLE
“If you agree that diagnostic confidence is key in investing your medical devices dollar, this presentation will clearly show you how we meet that need.”
CLOSE
“The key message is diagnostic confidence.”
Comment: After this opening, move to housekeeping, flesh out the key message, handle questions, then close with your key message again.
One of my core principles: Simplicity Sells (as opposed to “Complexity Confuses”). Use an Open-Middle-Close speaking structure to project certainty.
(Diagnostic confidence means radiologists could be confident in their diagnosis because of the image clarity the vendor’s medical devices displayed.)
2. Speak Simple, Declarative Sentences – Example 2
General Bernard Montgomery’s World War Two speech to troops taking charge of the Eighth Army in Africa is a stellar example. Here are the first four sentences:
“I want first of all to introduce myself to you. You do not know me. I do not know you. But we have got to work together.”
3. ‘Negative’ Openings
Well suited for boardroom presentations
Example:
“In exactly two years today, the patents on our most profitable product line will expire forever. On that day, generic manufacturers will swamp our market with cheap copies and eat us alive.”
(Pharmaceutical senior executive to board of directors)
Comment: Sometimes it’s worthwhile to “scare” an audience to attention. Clearly define the status quo, then engage the audience to come up with solutions.
4. ‘Consider This, What If’ – Example 1
Suited for a variety of presentations, meetings, and interactions
Use the starter phrasing “Consider this – what if…” followed by tag questions to drive home benefits.
Example:
“Consider this. What if, in any presentation or meeting, you were perceived as very articulate, extremely competent, and genuinely interested in the audience? Think about that for a moment. How would you feel about that? What would that mean to you?
Now I’m not suggesting I’ll move you to those perceptions in this 45-minute presentation. But if I can move you a piece along the way, I think you’ll agree our time will be valuable.
The key messages to take away from this presentation are:
- Maximise the number of positive impressions you leave
- Project energy and certainty
- Simplicity sells”
Comment: This hook followed by key messages is a potent way to make an audience want to hear more. Describe a positive future for the audience, then qualify it (as I did with “Now I’m not suggesting…”).
5. ‘Consider This, What If’ – Example 2
If you see someone at your office you need to talk with:
OPEN: “Hey James – got a moment?”
MIDDLE: “Consider this, what if we could reduce our cost on X and Y by increasing our time with P and Q?”
CLOSE: “I’d like to send you an email about it. How’s that sound?”
6. Open with a Provocative Statement, Then Clarify It
Suitable for team meetings et al
Example:
Motivational quotes can be misleading.
They create the illusion of progress – as if repetition alone produces results. It doesn’t.
Results follow action. Inaction has consequences.
Without action, motivation is just noise. That’s why I’m saying this: insight only matters if it changes behaviour.
The takeaway is this:
Reduce our response time to customer enquiries to five minutes by close of business, 6 February. Let me say that again because it’s important.
Reduce our response time to customer enquiries to five minutes by close of business, 6 February. “
Comment: A good way to come up with a provocative statement is to reflect on commonly held beliefs in your organisation – especially when those beliefs don’t serve the company well.
7. A Famous Opening Hook
“Gentle Romans” (boos from the crowd) “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”
—Mark Antony, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
8. Other Hooks – ‘Think-Back’
Ask the audience to recall an emotionally meaningful experience relevant to the current situation.
Example:
An Australian Broadcasting Corporation television executive used this opening when asking her team for extraordinary effort:
“Guys – think back to the effort we put in to get the footage of Cyclone Yasi. Think about that effort for a moment. We need that same degree of effort for the challenge we face today…”
Own the Conversation
- File the link for this post in a relevant folder (e.g., ‘Presentation/Pitch Planning’) so you can refer to it when planning your next presentation
- Trial one technique within the next seven days – for example, experiment with the ‘Consider this, what if’ hook in a chance encounter.
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P.S. Recently I completed a HBDI (Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument) Profile provided by a top, business coach associate of mine, Peter Black. In the debrief of the profile with Peter, I learned some powerful, actionable ideas to immediately apply to my work with clients. For example, though I thought I did a good job of getting a brief from a prospective client, there were areas I had overlooked that I will now use to improve my understanding of the client’s need. I recommend Peter’s services highly.
Here is a message from him:
I have known Michael for a long time and we have worked on similar clients from different perspectives to enhance their personal and leadership effectiveness. The HBDI is a very simple but effective organising principle that enables people to adopt a “whole brain thinking” approach to issues to improve communication, decision making and problem solving as well as address the needs of the various affected stakeholders and reduce potential conflict. If you would like explore how a whole brain thinking approach may improve these aspects in your role and business, please contact me for a complimentary call on 0419 410 955, email me at peter.black@
