Great presentations captivate an audience right off the start. For that, having an excellent hook as an attention-getter is the most effective business presentation opener. So let us give you a good set of pitch deck hook ideas along with the best pitch deck opener tips for you to take into consideration before your next startup pitch. 

Tip #1: Put yourself in the audience’s shoes

First, writing a good hook for a presentation often stems from putting yourself in the audience’s shoes. 

By the time you pitch your startup or product, you will most likely have a solid reference of the type of audience you will have. Use that to your advantage. There is nothing more refreshing to an audience than feeling appealed. And you can do that if you take their background into account before planning the narrative structure of the presentation.

A great speech hook tends to answer the question: “How would I love to be wowed?” If you put yourself in the audience’s seat for a minute, it is very likely you will better stimulate your imagination to come up with unique and innovative presentation hook ideas. 

We know investors love startup founders who can think like an investor. That means putting VCs’ financial perspectives and overall posture into perspective when it comes to presenting in front of them. 

Is there any knowledge to this degree that you can put to work as a presentation hook for your upcoming business presentation? Even asking yourself this question is already a fruitful exercise in itself. 

Tip #2: Come up with unique hooks

There are no follow-through recipes to produce a great attention-getter. On the contrary, the better you can tailor your hooks to your specific business, the more powerfully your business presentation start will serve the purpose of captivating your audience. 

It is also a very beautiful experience when you craft such a unique attention-getter and business presentation opener that the lines you used can only be traced back to you. It gives a sense of uniqueness to your business presentation in that pitch room. That is what we call “making an impression.”

Tip #3: Consider attention spans

Just like we can count on the first few seconds of a first impression to be golden and unalterable, audiences are typically lost after about 5 minutes of a startup’s presentation. The audience’s attention curve is known to go up and down intermittently after the opening until a wrap-up’s final peak. Take this into account to keep investors motivated and interested.

This is also precisely why it is so relevant that your attention-getter is well established. The opening part of your pitch is very likely the most attention you will get throughout your entire presentation, so make the best of it!

There’s also a need for you to work in your public speaking skills.

Tip #4: Storytelling is still important

It doesn’t matter how much we vary business angles or startup pitch decks as a whole, storytelling is always amidst the first ingredients to a successful startup pitch. Most business presentation experts will agree that telling a story is a great way of captivating - and maintaining - an audience’s attention to what you’re saying. 

Also, use metaphors as much as possible. Doing so should enhance the art of storytelling to your advantage. While you’re at it, try to lose the fear of speaking in public as you deliver your initial story. Confidence is key in getting your point across in a way that is appealing to your viewers and listeners.

Questions can help

We have a tendency to think that presenting is all about delivering facts; about showing off as the most knowledgeable in your particular field. And while that is true to a large extent, don’t forget questions can also be of great help. Rhetorical queries, especially, are a great way to start a business pitch if you play them correctly. 

The idea behind a rhetorical question as the start to a startup pitch is to evoke thought. It is an easy way to interact with the audience and gets them thinking with and about your business or the data you just shared. 

Hopefully, however, you can also lure the audience back to your content with the start of your presentation slides. Give them some answers and roll them back into the stimuli you’re giving them. What we mean is that, while questions can be your ally, do not exceed into too complicated or intriguing queries. Those might drift your audience away and take too much focus far from where you are trying to lead your audience. 

Put humor to good use

If you can manage to have a clean, sharp and on-point sense of humor, by all means consider playing it as the hook with which you get your audience’s initial attention. Remember humor depends on your context, as well, so make sure you’ve got your bases covered. 

Though a bit of a tricky card to play and not severely recommended across the board, you can even try telling a joke or relying on some self-deprecating humor to get your audience to connect. Well-known and reputable masters of public presentation skills have been known to recommend this.

While a presentation that starts off on a joke might not be the most common pitch delivery, laughter can certainly be a strong tool to generate connection and empathy. Humor also makes presenters a bit more relatable if crafted correctly. A good tip is trying to use humor while you introduce yourself in the presentation, if applicable.

Furthermore, pulling off the right humoristic approach to your pitch hook gives you the benefit of sending healthy endorphins through your audience’s blood system. This effect will get VCs to relax and be better able to be present in that room with you.

Use “what if” imagination tricks

Very much tied to your proposed solution slide in a way, asking “what if” questions can get an audience thinking about imagined scenarios that could help your presentation start. As easy as using one word, ask your audience to “imagine” something. This can lead listeners to travel with you and in their minds, which can be very refreshing for everyone involved.

Rely on Hard Facts

Tie the above with a well-known fact, such as a reference to history or any other real-life data, and your imagination request can easily turn into a strong case of a provocative and successful beginning to a startup pitch deck delivery. 

Maximize quotes

A bit more classic to some degree, entrepreneurs tend to use quotes as final thoughts to their pitches. Move it up to your pitch deck opening and you could easily have a powerful attention-getter. 

Tip #5: Consider your whole deck

In the end, managing a great attention-getter should be the start of more business meeting follow-up requests. Yet, bear in mind that your hook is just a great start to a business presentation. 

Since we can rely on your hook’s attention peek to be lost after the first 5 minutes of your presentation, the rest of your business pitch success truly lies in every single step that follows all the way to your last slide. 

Related: What is a Pitch Deck Presentation: A complete Presentation Guide with examples.

We wish you the best in your upcoming business presentations. And always remember to bring up your slides to the next level with the AI-powered design of Slidebean!