Set the Hook

Ever walked into a room, started talking… and realized no one was really listening?
It’s not because your message wasn’t important - it’s because your opening didn’t land. In the world of presentations, the first few seconds are everything. That’s when your audience decides: “Am I in, or am I out?” The good news? With the right hook, you can grab attention and never let it go.

A hook is the very first thing you say or do in a presentation to grab your audience’s attention. Think of it like the opening scene of a movie or the first line of a great book - it sets the tone, sparks curiosity, and makes people want to hear more. It’s your way of saying, “Hey, this matters, stick with me.”

A strong hook doesn’t need to be flashy, but it should be intentional. Whether it’s a story, a surprising fact, a bold question, or a personal moment, the key is to make it real, relevant, and memorable.

And here’s the secret weapon that we’ve already discussed: the ACE Framework.

By starting with Action, Color, or Emotion, you can craft a hook that pulls your audience into a moment before they even realize they’ve been drawn in. Let’s break it down:

1. ACTION: START IN MOTION

People pay attention when something’s happening. A great Action hook drops the audience right into the middle of a moment. There’s no setup, no context, just immediate motion or tension.

Example: “I was halfway up the rock wall when my foot slipped.”

We don’t know who you are or why you're climbing a rock wall, but we’re already in. The stakes are clear, and the movement is immediate.

Pro tip: Choose a moment from your personal or professional life where something shifted. That’s where the energy lives.

2. COLOR: SET THE SCENE

If action pulls us in, color grounds us. A Color hook paints a vivid, sensory-rich scene that gives the audience something to visualize and connect with.

Example: “The cafeteria buzzed with the smell of tater tots and nervous energy.”

We’re right there with you and suddenly, this isn’t just your story. It’s ours, too. That’s the magic of color: it makes abstract ideas tangible and relatable.

Pro tip: Think about where you were during a defining moment. What did you hear, see, smell, or feel? Bring us with you.

3. EMOTION: LEAD WITH FEELING

Want to connect fast? Lead with how you felt. Emotion triggers empathy, it’s human, and it’s hard to ignore.

Example: “I’d never been more terrified to speak in front of a group… until that day.”

Your audience doesn’t need your resume - they need your humanity. If you can authentically make them feel something early on, they’re far more likely to follow you to the end. 

Pro tip: Tap into a feeling that resonates across roles and industries - anticipation, joy, doubt, concern, courage. We’ve all been there.

Using ACE to craft your hook doesn’t just grab attention, it sets you up to tell a richer, more powerful story. So next time you’re prepping a presentation, start with this question: What’s the moment that matters and how can I bring people into it?

Set the hook!

Game On!